Hakato Sema's incredible journey: From losing a leg in J-K landmine blast to becoming Paralympics medalist

Hakato Hotozhe Sema survived a landmine blast in an anti-terror operation in Jammu and Kashmir’s Chowkibal in 2002. He was encouraged to take up para shot put in 2016 at the age of 32 after being encouraged by a senior army official at the Pune-based Artificial Limb Centre upon seeing his fitness. He competed in the National Para Athletics Championships in Jaipur the same year.

The army man had dreams of joining the special forces and achieved great fitness levels, but his aspirations were cut short by the blast.

Hakoto Sema's inspring journey

Sema secured a bronze medal after registering his best throw of 14.65 meters in the men's F57 category final at the Paralympic Games in Paris on Friday.


The 40-year-old had won the bronze medal at the Hangzhou Para Games last year. On Friday, he started with an average throw of 13.88m before he hit a purple patch and crossing the 14 m mark on the second throw and reaching 14.40 m next,

The Dimapur-born army man is the only athlete from Nagaland who is part of the Indian contingent at the Paralympics. He achieved his best in his fourth throw, surpassing his personal best of 14.49m on way to the bronze medal.

His training base is at the Army Paralympic Node in Pune, where he honed his skills and developed into one of India's top para-athletes.

Paralympics 2024 men's shot put F57 event

Iran's Yasin Khosravi, the 31-year-old two-time para world champion and Hangzhou Para Games gold medallist, clinched the top spot with a Paralympic record of 15.96m. He missed rewriting his own world record mark of 16.01m by just five centimetres. Brazil's Thiago Dos Santos took the silver with his best throw of 15.06m.

The other Indian in the event, Rana Soman, who won the silver medal at the Hangzhou Para Games, finished fifth with a best throw of 14.07m.

F57 category is for field athletes with movement affected to a low degree in one leg, moderately in both feet or the absence of limbs. These athletes have to compensate for significant asymmetry in power from the legs but have full upper body power.