Nagaland's Hokato Hotozhe Sema scripts history as first Paralympic medalist from state

Nagaland's Paralympic athlete Hokato Hotozhe Sema scripted history by becoming the first athlete from the state to win a Paralympic medal for India. 

Sema won the bronze medal in the men's shot put F57 event, with a personal best throw of 14.65 meter. He broke the previous Paralympic record of 13.49 meter, set by Olokhan Musayev from Azerbaijan. 

Meanwhile, Iran's Yasin Khosravi claimed the gold medal with a throw of 15.96 meter, while Brazil's Thiago Paulino dos Santos won the silver with a throw of 15.06 meter.

Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio took to X to congratulate Sema. He wrote, "Congratulations to Hokato Hotozhe Sema on winning Bronze in Shot Put F57, marking the 27th medal for #TeamIndia at the ongoing @Paris2024 Paralympics Games. His remarkable journey & dedication has led to this outstanding achievement. He is a true inspiration & a role model."

Sema was born on December 24, 1983, in Nagaland. He grew up in a farmer's family as the second of four children. Hokato was passionate about serving his country and dreamt of joining the elite Special Forces (SF), following which he worked hard to achieve the highest levels of physical fitness and mental strength. However, his life took a tragic turn on October 14, 2002, when he was involved in a Counter Infiltration Operation and a mine blast caused him to lose his left leg below the knee, ending his dream of joining the Special Forces.