Soman Rana and Shubham Juyal gave India several reasons to rejoice as the duo finished in the top two in the men’s shot put F57 final, winning gold and silver, respectively, at the Commonwealth Games 2026. Soman secured the top position with his best throw being 13.40 while Shubham came second with his best throw of 13.28m. Soman’s best attempt came in his second try, while Shubham’s best attempt was registered in his sixth and final try. Cameroon’s Cedric Idriss Lezeko Azamdi won bronze with a best throw of 12.57m.
Earlier on Saturday, triple jumpers Praveen Chitravel and Selva Prabhu Thirumaran also bagged silver and bronze medals. Chitravel covered a distance of 16.58m, and it was enough for him to come second. On the other hand, Selva Prabhu was just behind at 16.52m for bronze, which was his first medal of note in international competitions.
All you need to know about Soman and Shubham’s careers
Soman’s journey is one of extraordinary courage. He joined the Indian Army in 2001 as a sepoy in the Gorkha Rifles, where his passion for sport soon earned him a place in the unit’s boxing team. His life changed dramatically in December 2006 while serving along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir. Rana suffered severe injuries in a landmine explosion that resulted in the amputation of his leg below the knee.
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During rehabilitation at the Artificial Limb Centre in Pune, Rana discovered para sports and embraced the challenge with unwavering determination. In 2017, he joined the Army Paralympic Node, where years of dedicated training transformed him into one of India’s leading para shot put athletes.
Rana has since represented India at both the Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, narrowly missing the podium with fourth and fifth-place finishes, respectively. His international résumé also includes a silver medal at the Asian Para Games and a bronze at the 2025 World Para Athletics Championships, highlighting his consistency against elite competition.
For Shubham, the road to elite sport began after a devastating setback threatened to derail his lifelong ambition. That dream appeared within reach in 2022 when he qualified for the Army Cadet College entry scheme. However, while travelling for his Services Selection Board interview, a serious motorcycle accident resulted in the loss of one of his legs, abruptly ending his hopes of pursuing a military career in the traditional sense.
During his rehabilitation at Pune’s Artificial Limb Centre, Juyal faced a defining choice. Instead of opting for a conventional vocational path, he chose para sports, embracing a future built around competition and excellence. Supported by the Army’s high-performance programme, he specialised in the F57 shot put event, a discipline that demands exceptional upper-body strength, balance and technical precision.
Juyal’s progress has been rapid. He finished seventh at the 2025 World Para Athletics Championships and has consistently featured on the podium at major domestic competitions. Gold at the 2026 Indian Open Para Athletics Grand Prix, silver medals at the National Para Athletics Championships and Khelo India Para Games, and a bronze at the 2025 National Championships underline his emergence as one of India’s promising talents in the event.
