In what was a tremendous achievement for India, Nagaland's Hokato Hotozhe Sema brought home the bronze medal in the Men's Shot Put F57 event at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics late last week. The 40-year-old athlete, competing in his Paralympic debut, threw a personal best distance of 14.65m on his third attempt to claim third place on the podium.
Sema entered the final with a best of 14.49m, positioning him well but not among the favorites. World leader Yasin Khosravi of Iran and Thiago Paulino dos Santos of Brazil dominated proceedings initially, recording the best two throws of 15.96m and 15.06m respectively. With the top places settled, Sema found himself in a battle with Finland's Teijo Koopikka for bronze. When Koopikka could only manage 14.18m, Sema saw his opportunity and capitalized in tremendous fashion. His third throw earned him an immediate bronze and he added over 15cm to his personal mark, a testament to his big game mentality.
The decorated army man had only taken up the sport at 32, years after losing his left leg below the knee in a mine blast during counterinsurgency operations in 2002. However, he did not let his disability deter him from excelling on the field. In addition to his Paralympic success, Sema was also a medalist at the recent Asian Para Games and Grand Prix events. His inspirational journey and never-say-die attitude makes his podium finish in Tokyo all the more noteworthy.
