From J&K battlefield to Paralympics bronze: Sema's inspirational journey through hardships
Paris (PTI): On a quiet October day in 2002, a young soldier’s dreams were shattered in a heartbeat in the volatile terrain of Jammu and Kashmir’s Chowkibal.
An unexpected explosion ended the ambition of Havildar Hokato Hotozhe Sema to join the Special Forces.
That landmine blast during an anti-terrorist operation claimed his left leg below the knee, inflicting immense physical pain and mental trauma.
Sema's world went dark, or everyone thought so.
But for Sema, it was the beginning of an extraordinary journey of resilience, courage, and fierce determination to rebuild life -- a process he went through at the Army Paralympic Node, BEG Centre in Pune.
Twenty-two years later, at the swank State de France, the 40-year-old Indian shot-putter came up with his career-best throw of 14.65 metres to secure a bronze medal in the men's F57 category at the Paralympics to swell the country's medal haul to 27 (six gold, nine silver and 12 bronze).
His rise in para-athletics has been nothing short of inspiring.
He quickly distinguished himself with his sheer willpower in the F57 category, which includes athletes with limb deficiencies and impaired muscle power.
Sema was encouraged by senior army officials at the Pune-based Artificial Limb Centre to take up shot put after seeing his fitness as he embraced the sport in 2016 at the age of 32.
That year, he travelled to Jaipur to compete in the National Para Athletics Championships. A silver at the Morocco Grand Prix in 2022 was followed by a bronze medal at the Asian Para Games in Hangzhou.
He narrowly missed a medal at the 2024 World Championships, finishing fourth. But Sema's determination never wavered.
The defining moment came during his Paralympics debut, when he battled against a fiercely competitive field.
Strapped to a throwing chair, each of his six throws was a manifestation of grit and physical strength.
He touched the 14m mark on his second throw and then improved further with a heave of 14.40m.
Sema achieved his best throw in his fourth attempt, bettering his personal best to 14.49m en route to the bronze.
Iran's Yasin Khosravi, the 31-year-old two-time para world champion, clinched the top spot with a Paralympic record of 15.96m, while Brazil's Thiago Dos Santos took the silver (15.06m).
Prime Minister Narendra Modi described Sema's win a "proud moment" for the nation while hailing his incredible strength and determination.
"A proud moment for our nation as Hokato Hotozhe Sema brings home the Bronze medal in Men’s Shot Put F57! His incredible strength and determination are exceptional. Congratulations to him. Best wishes for the endeavours ahead," PM Modi wrote on X.
Sema has been supported by the Khelo India initiative and his training, boarding, and lodging were taken care of by the National Centre of Excellence (NCoE) scheme.
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Sanjay Raut demands re-election, alleges irregularities in EVMs during Maharashtra polls
Mumbai, Nov 25: Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut on Monday demanded a re-election in Maharashtra using ballot papers, claiming there were irregularities with the electronic voting machines (EVMs).
Talking to reporters, Raut alleged several complaints about EVMs malfunctioning and questioned the integrity of the recently held elections.
The BJP-led Mahayuti won 230 out of 288 seats in the assembly elections, while the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi managed 46 seats, with Shiv Sena (UBT) winning just 20 out of 95 seats it contested.
"We have received nearly 450 complaints regarding EVMs. Despite raising objections repeatedly, no action has been taken on these issues. How can we say these elections were conducted fairly? Hence, I demand that the results be set aside and elections be held again using ballot papers," Raut said.
Citing some instances, he said a candidate in Nashik reportedly received only four votes despite having 65 votes from his family, while in Dombivli, discrepancies were found in EVM tallies, and election officials refused to acknowledge the objections.
The Sena (UBT) leader also questioned the credibility of the landslide victories of some candidates, saying, "What revolutionary work have they done to receive more than 1.5 lakh votes? Even leaders who recently switched parties have become MLAs. This raises suspicions. For the first time, a senior leader like Sharad Pawar has expressed doubts about EVMs, which cannot be ignored."
Asked about the MVA's poor performance in the elections, Raut rejected the idea of blaming a single individual.
"We fought as a united MVA. Even a leader like Sharad Pawar, who commands immense respect in Maharashtra, faced defeat. This shows that we need to analyse the reasons behind the failure. One of the reasons is EVM irregularities and the misuse of the system, unconstitutional practices, and even judicial decisions left unresolved by Justice Chandrachud," he said.
Raut stressed that though internal differences might have existed within the MVA, the failure was collective.
He also accused the Mahayuti of conducting the elections in an unfair manner.
"I cannot call the elections fair given the numerous reports of discrepancies in EVMs, mismatched numbers, and vote irregularities across the state," Raut said.
