2024-09-07 17:00:17
New Delhi: It is said that when you have the passion to achieve something, no difficulty can stop you from reaching your goal. Such is the story of former Indian Army officer Hokato Hotoje Sema, who did wonders for India by winning a bronze medal in the F57 category shot put event at the Paris Paralympics. 40-year-old Hokato is the only athlete from Nagaland to participate in the Paris Paralympics.
Hokato finished third in the event with a throw of 14.65m, which was also his personal best. Iran’s Yassin Khosravi won the gold medal in this event with a throw of 15.96m in his fourth attempt, while Brazil’s Thiago Paulino dos Santos won the silver medal by finishing second with a throw of 15.06m.
Paris Paralympics 2024: Hokato Hotoze Sema creates history, wins bronze in Men’s Shot Put F57
Who is Nagaland’s Hokato Sema
Hokato Hotoje Sema was born on 24 December 1983 in a simple family of Nagaland. His father is a farmer and he is the second among four siblings. After growing up, Hokato joined the army to serve the country. Hokato had a desire to serve the country since childhood. During his service in the army, a tragic incident occurred during a counter-infiltration operation on October 14, 2002, when he became a victim of a mine explosion and his left leg was amputated below the knee.
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However, despite this, Hokato did not give up. After recovering, Hokato became a dedicated para athlete from India. Hokato competes in the F57 category in shot put. The F57 category is for athletes who have mild impairment in one leg or moderate impairment in both legs.
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Hokato Sema’s Achievements
Hokato has participated in many para events of shot put, mainly Asian Para Games 2022. In the Asian Para Games, Hokato showed strong performance and won the bronze medal for the country. Apart from this, Hokato finished fourth in the World Championship 2024. At the same time, Hokato was successful in winning the silver medal by finishing second in the Morocco Grand Prix 2022.