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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Chamoli hydropower tunnel train collision: 88 injured, magisterial probe ordered
Gopeshwar/Dehradun (PTI): Chamoli District Magistrate Gaurav Kumar on Wednesday ordered a magisterial inquiry into the collision between two loco trains inside the Pipalkoti tunnel of the under-construction Vishnugad-Pipalkoti hydropower project, which left 88 people injured.
Earlier in the day, Kumar said that the accident occurred around 8.30 pm on Tuesday at the TBM (Tunnel Boring Machine) site inside the tunnel being built by THDC (India).
A loco train carrying workers for tunnel excavation during the night shift was about two kilometres inside the tunnel when another loco train coming from the opposite direction lost control and collided with it.
One of the trains had workers and officials on board, while the other carried material.
Upon receiving information about the collision, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami ordered proper treatment for the injured. He spoke to the DM over the phone and instructed him to ensure that all the injured receive the best possible medical facilities.
DM Kumar and Superintendent of Police Surjit Singh Panwar met the injured at the Gopeshwar District Hospital.
Kumar said 109 people were on board the loco train at the time of the accident, most of them labourers. None of the injured was serious, he said.
He said that 88 of them were injured, although none of them are in serious condition. They said that 84 workers were discharged after receiving first aid, while four are still hospitalized.
DM Kumar and SP Panwar also inspected the project site and sought detailed information about the incident from the project officials.
They instructed them to strictly implement all necessary safety standards to prevent a recurrence of such an incident in the future.
After inspection, the DM issued orders for a magisterial inquiry into the accident caused by the collision of the loco trains.
Meanwhile, the Railways said the trains involved in the collision had no connection with it.
"It is clarified that this unfortunate incident occurred in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district, involving a trolley used in the local transportation system during the construction of a hydroelectric project tunnel. The train referred to in the news reports is not an Indian Railways train, but a transportation system being used locally by the project team," the government entity said in a statement.
According to officials, rail-like vehicles are used to transport workers, employees, and materials for construction work inside the tunnel.
The project, being built between Helang and Pipalkoti on the Alaknanda River, will generate 444 megawatts of electricity through four turbines. The project is targeted for completion by next year.
