Who is Soman Rana? Ex-Gorkha Rifles Army man becomes India's first-ever CWG gold medallist in shot put F57 event

Soman Rana, a former Gorkha Rifles Army man, won India's first-ever Commonwealth Games (CWG) gold medal in the men's para shot put F57 event with a best throw of 13.40m at Glasgow on Saturday.

Rana, who lost his right leg after stepping on a landmine while serving in Kashmir in 2006, was previously a national-level boxer and finished fifth at the National Championships in 2005.

India completed a first double-podium finish in the event as Shubham Juyal took silver with 13.28m, contributing to India's best-ever para sports haul of seven medals (3 gold, 2 silver, 2 bronze) at CWG 2026.

After his injury, Rana was introduced to para athletics through the Army Paralympic Node founded by Col. Gaurav Dutta, and he chose shot put, later representing India at the Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 Paralympics.

Rana's resume includes a silver at the 2022 Asian Para Games and a bronze at the 2023 World Para Athletics Championships.