Paralympics Medalist Hokato Sema Narrates His Journey From Being In Armed Forces To An Athlete

Hokato Hotozhe Sema, 40, put his arms up in the air the moment the spherical ball landed after his fourth attempt in the Men’s Shot Put — F57 Final at the Paris Paralympics on Friday at the Stade de France, well past midnight time in India. He didn’t need to wait for the official measurement to show up on the big screen. It just felt right. And it felt special. A new Personal Best of 14.65m on his Paralympics debut. There was plenty of time left in the event, but at this instant, Sema knew he was going to be on the podium. A bronze medal that increased India’s tally to a record-extending 27 in Paris. If you were watching a seated throwing event for the first time, you might have wondered why Sema celebrated achieving a personal best when there were quite a few athletes still left to throw after him. “When I sat on my chair, and started doing my warm-up throws, I felt if I put in my best today, I would take home a medal,” Sema said later. “I am delighted and proud to have created a personal best.”