Hailing from India’s rugged hills of Nagaland, where resilience is woven into the fabric of daily life, Subedar Hokato Hotozhe Sema has scripted one of modern India’s most inspiring tales of grit and glory. At 42, the soldier-athlete from a humble farming family has climbed to the summit of para-athletics, becoming World No. 1 in the Men’s Shot Put F57 category in the latest World Para Athletics rankings released in early July 2026.
World No. 1 once again! 🇮🇳💪
A phenomenal achievement by Hokato Hotozhe Sema, who rises to the World No. 1 spot in the Men's Shot Put F57 category through relentless hard work, determination, and excellence.
Congratulations on this remarkable milestone! Wishing you continued… pic.twitter.com/XncrEGN7tG
— SAI Media (@Media_SAI) July 4, 2026
It has been just a few days since President Droupadi Murmu conferred upon him the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal (AVSM), making him the first Paralympian in India’s history to receive this prestigious peacetime military honour, and now Sema has added yet another landmark to his extraordinary career.
As a matter of additional pride for India, Sema’s fellow Indians Soman Rana and Shubham Juyal occupy the second and third spots, underscoring the nation’s rising dominance in the discipline. “I did not think about rankings when I started,” Sema reflected while speaking to media persons. “I only wanted to throw one metre farther than the last time. Everything after that has been a surprise, even to me”, Hindustan Times quotes him as saying.
This coming from a brave son of the soil who lost a leg while on military duty in Kashmir to a landmine blast while countering an anti-terrorist operation. His words capture the quiet determination of a man who refused to let a devastating injury define the end of his story.
A dream shattered on the Line of Control
Born on December 24, 1983, in P. Vihoto village in Nagaland’s Niuland district, Hokato grew up as the second of four children in a modest farming household. From a young age, he harboured ambitions of serving his nation in uniform. He joined the Indian Army as a Havildar with the Assam Regiment, training rigorously with dreams of joining the elite Special Forces.
Army Paralympic Node Global Dominance.
As per the latest World Para Rankings, our F-57 seated shot put trio has swept the global list with World No. 1, 2 and 3 rankings:
Sub Hokato Sema, AVSM
Sub Soman Rana, VSM
L/Nk Shubham JuyalMission Olympics Node producing… pic.twitter.com/jVnXcNSUqs
— Indian Army Sports and Adventure (@IA_SportsAdvntr) July 2, 2026
Those aspirations were violently interrupted on October 14, 2002. Just 19 years old, Sema was participating in a counter-infiltration operation along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir when a landmine blast tore through his position. He lost his left leg below the knee. In an instant, the life he had meticulously prepared for vanished. The choice fate threw him was one between amputation of the lower half of his leg or death. He had to accept the amputation, needless to add.
“That dream ended in one afternoon,” he later recalled. “For a long time I did not know what my life in the Army would look like anymore. Nobody prepares you for that kind of silence, when the thing you trained for your whole life is suddenly not possible.”
The years that followed tested his spirit profoundly. Rehabilitating from such a life-altering injury while remaining in service brought profound challenges, physical pain, emotional isolation, and the weight of unfulfilled potential. Yet Sema’s connection to the Army, which had shaped his identity, endured. He continued to serve, eventually rising to the rank of Subedar (Naib Subedar) with the 9 Assam Regiment, embodying the ethos that service transcends physical wholeness.
Rediscovery through sport: A second chapter
For over a decade, Sema navigated his new reality within the military. The turning point came in 2016 during a chance meeting with Lieutenant Colonel Gaurav Dutta at the Army Paralympic Node in Pune.
At 32, an age when many athletes consider winding down, Sema was introduced to shot put. He knew little about the sport initially. “In the beginning I did not even know how to hold the shot properly,” he admitted.
Training under coach Rakesh Rawat, he began building strength from his upper body and core, adapting to the demands of the F57 classification.
What is the F57 category in paralympics?
Athletes in F57 compete in a seated position from a throwing frame, generating power without leg drive due to lower limb deficiencies or impairments. It is a class for those with significant challenges, demanding exceptional core stability, technique, and mental fortitude.
Scepticism surrounded him. Village elders questioned why he persisted in a sport with “nothing to show for it” after years of effort. Sema’s response was simple: “I told them to wait. I did not have proof yet, only belief.”
That belief bore fruit. In 2022 (held in 2023 due to COVID-19 pandemic related restrictions), he claimed bronze at the Asian Para Games in Hangzhou, China. He followed with strong performances, including a silver at the Morocco Grand Prix.
At the 2024 World Championships, he finished fourth, signalling his growing global stature.
Paris 2024: History in the throwing circle
The pinnacle arrived at the Stade de France during the Paris 2024 Paralympics. Making his Games debut, the 40-year-old delivered under immense pressure. On his fourth attempt, Sema unleashed a personal best throw of 14.65 metres, securing bronze in the Men’s Shot Put F57.
Hokato Hotozhe Sema makes 🇮🇳 proud by winning the Bronze medal in Men’s Shot put at #Paris #Paralympics2024. His determination and resolve will inspire many.#Cheer4Bharat pic.twitter.com/CmY29ffVSN
— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) September 7, 2024
It was India’s first medal in the event and shattered the previous Paralympic record of 13.49m. Iran’s Yasin Khosravi took gold with 15.96m, while Brazil’s Thiago Paulino dos Santos earned silver. The medal carried deep personal significance. Sema dedicated it to his wife and viewed it as validation for every soldier who had been told their story ended with an injury.
“The AVSM is not mine alone,” he emphasised. “It belongs to every soldier who was told his story was over after an injury. I want them to see my life and know theirs is not finished either.”
Proud moment for Nagaland as @adgpi Subedar Hokato Hotozhe Sema receives the #ArjunaAward from the Hon'ble President of India. pic.twitter.com/sO7EJRwWBz
— GK Zhimomi (@gkzhimomi) January 18, 2025
His achievements earned him the Arjuna Award, and in 2026, the AVSM from the President, milestones that recognise both sporting excellence and distinguished military service.
World No. 1: A dynamic crown
Reaching the top of the World Para Athletics Rankings in July 2026 marks the latest chapter. Sema’s ascent reflects consistent performances and incremental gains, the very philosophy he embraced from the start. He has pushed his international best to 15.21 metres and eyes further improvement.
Heartiest congratulations to Sub. Hokato Hotozhe Sema, VSM, of the Assam Regiment, on being conferred the prestigious AVSM (Ati Vishisht Seva Medal). With this, the paralympian becomes the first Indian Army para-athlete to be decorated with both VSM and AVSM. His is a story of… pic.twitter.com/HDNTVMeAmX
— Jacob Zhimomi (@jacob_zhimomi) February 2, 2026
Yet he remains pragmatic. “The rankings are not permanent. They change every year based on performance. Consistency is the key to maintaining a top ranking,” he noted. With the Para Asian Games looming in Aichi Prefecture, Japan, in October 2026, Sema is focused on surpassing his personal best against competitors from over 40 nations.
Roots, support and legacy
Based in Pune for training, Sema draws strength from multiple pillars: the Indian Army’s robust support system, the Nagaland government, Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio (also President of the Nagaland Olympic Association), and Advisor Abu Metha. He has publicly acknowledged their encouragement throughout his journey.
As he nears retirement age, Sema looks to the future with optimism. “I am nearing the age of retirement, yet I continue to train and compete. If young athletes adopt the right approach, they can achieve two or three times more than I have and bring greater glory to Nagaland and the country.”
His story resonates far beyond statistics. From a landmine blast on the LoC to the Paralympic podium and now the world rankings summit, Sema personifies the idea that identity and purpose endure beyond physical loss. In an era where narratives of victimhood often dominate discussions of disability, his is one of agency, discipline and quiet defiance.
Sema’s throws are powered not just by muscle but by two decades of service, the unyielding support of his regiment, and the spirit of a Naga warrior. He remains “made of steel and grit”, as he puts it, a landmine could take his leg, but it could never diminish the soldier within.
As India celebrates the achievements of her son bred in the glorious traditions of Nagaland, Sema’s journey reminds us that true victory lies not in unbroken bodies, but in unbroken wills. With the Asian Games on the horizon, the world will be watching to see how much farther this remarkable athlete can throw.
For Hokato Hotozhe Sema, each metre forward is both personal triumph and a beacon for countless others who refuse to let adversity write their final chapter.
