Subedar Hokato Hotozhe Sema Wins Bronze in Asian Para Games Seated Shot Put
Subedar Hokato Hotozhe Sema of the Indian Army’s Paralympic Node won bronze in the men’s seated shot put (F56/F57) at the 5th Asian Para Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, on 20 October 2026, adding another international medal to his record in a contest that also brought the Army’s para-athletics campaign a strong result on Day 2. Sema recorded a best effort of 14.65 metres, the same distance that had earlier stood out as his personal best at the Paris 2024 Paralympics, where he had claimed bronze in the same event.
The gold medal went to Iran’s Yasin Khosravi, who set a Games record with 15.25 metres, while Saudi Arabia’s Haidr Salamh took silver with a throw of 14.97 metres. Sema’s podium finish was also an improvement on his fourth-place result at the previous Asian Para Games in Hangzhou, underlining his consistency at the top level of international para-athletics.
His bronze came on a day when other Army athletes also delivered in the throwing events. Earlier on 20 October, Havildar Rakesh won silver in the discus throw (F44), and Havildar Pardeep Kumar secured bronze in the discus throw (F64). Together, these performances gave the Army Paralympic Node a Day 2 athletics haul of one silver and two bronzes.
A journey from combat injury to elite para-athletics
Sema was born on 24 December 1983 in P. Vihoto village in Niuland district, Nagaland. He joined the Indian Army and served with the Assam Regiment. In 2002, while on operations along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir, he lost his left leg below the knee in a landmine blast. After rehabilitation, he took up para-athletics in his early thirties and began structured training at the Army Paralympic Node under coach Rakesh Rawat. He later rose to the rank of Subedar and continues to be associated with the Node.
His rise in para-sport has been marked by a series of major results. Before the 2026 Asian Para Games, he had already secured bronze at the 2022 Asian Para Games in Hangzhou and went on to win a landmark bronze at the Paris 2024 Paralympics in the same seated shot put event. At one stage in 2026, he was ranked world number one in the F57 category, with fellow Army athletes Subedar Soman Rana and Lance Naik Shubham Juyal occupying the second and third positions respectively.
Sema has also been recognised beyond the sporting arena. He has received the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal (AVSM), becoming the first Paralympian to receive the honour, and the Vishisht Seva Medal (VSM).
Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Sema after his Aichi-Nagoya bronze, noting that he had improved on his previous Asian Para Games result and continued to make the nation proud.
Army Paralympic Node’s contribution
The Army Paralympic Node functions under the Mission Olympics Wing and the Army Sports Control Board. It provides specialised coaching, infrastructure and support to soldiers who acquire disabilities in the line of duty, helping them move into structured competitive sport. The programme has produced multiple international medallists in para-athletics and other disciplines, and the three medals won by its athletes on Day 2 in Aichi-Nagoya reflected that system of support in action.
The 5th Asian Para Games will continue until 24 October 2026, with India’s para-athletes expected to add to the medal tally in the remaining days of competition.
