Hokato Hotozhe Sema’s coach Rakesh Singh Rawat hailed the athlete following his magnificent performance in the shot put F57 final, praising him for giving his best and winning the bronze medal.
Hokato Hotozhe Sema secured a bronze medal for the country at the ongoing para multi-sport event in the men’s shot put F57 final on Saturday.
In the medal match, Hokato recorded a personal best throw of 14.65 meters. Iran’s Yashin Khosravi took the gold with a throw of 15.96 meters, while Brazil’s Thiago Paulino dos Santos earned the silver with a 15.06-meter throw.
“I want to thank the PCI, Indian Army, OGQ India, and Khelo India for their support. I just wanted to give my best so that I could see my country’s flag flying high. In 2014, while posted in J&K, I lost my leg in a landmine during an operation. To prevent infection, my leg was amputated. That was the lowest time of my life,” Hokato Hotozhe Sema shared with ANI.
He further stated that seeing other soldiers with amputated limbs motivated him to pursue the sport. “Seeing other soldiers with amputated limbs living their lives normally gave me motivation. I started using artificial limbs. When I learned about the Paralympics in 2016, I began training. The Indian Army taught me to be tough, and I urge everyone to make your disability your biggest asset,” Hokato added.
Rakesh Singh Rawat commented that Hokato Hotozhe Sema was highly motivated during the final and performed brilliantly in practice sessions. “He was very motivated and performed extremely well in practices. He gave his best in the final and won a bronze. Since he is in the Army and came to the Army Limb Centre for treatment, we shifted him to the Army Paralympic Node in Pune and motivated him to play. Overcoming his physical and mental challenges, he reached this level,” Rawat said.
Indian para-athlete Bhavanaben Chaudhary finished in fifth place in the women’s F46 javelin throw final at the ongoing Paris Paralympics, with a best throw of 39.70 meters.
Earlier in the day, Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio announced that Paris Paralympics 2024 bronze medalist Hokato Hotozhe Sema would receive a reward of Rs. 1.5 Crore for his outstanding performance at the event. “We’re proud & joyous for Mr. Hokato Hotozhe Sema on winning bronze at the #ParalympicsGames in the shot put event. He’s made India proud & Nagaland shine. As the first Olympic medalist from Nagaland, I’m happy to announce that the Nagaland Govt will extend a cash reward of Rs. 1.5 Crore,” Neiphiu Rio posted on X.
India’s medal tally in the ongoing Paralympics has risen to 27, with six gold medals, nine silver medals, and 12 bronze medals. This surpasses the previous record of five gold medals at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics. Indian para-athletes have particularly shone with three golds, six silvers, and six bronze medals, totaling 15 medals.
