Rio Paralympics 2016: Deepa Malik creates history, wins a silver in shot put!

Deepa Malik became the first Indian womanon to win a silver medal in the women's shot put final event at Rio Paralympics 2016, on 12 September.

The 45-year-old athlete from Haryana's Sonipat district won the medal in the shot-put F-53 final by throwing her personal best of 4.61m at the Olympic Stadium (Engenhao) in Rio de Janerio, Brazil.

By this feat, she became the country's first ever woman to win a medal at the Paralympics.

Fatema Nedham of Bahrain won the gold medal with the best throw of 4.76m while Dimitra Korokida of Greece bagged the bronze medal with a throw of 4.28m.

This was Deepa's 11th overall Indian Medal. She has also won medals in swimming at international competitions.

Deepa, the first Indian female athlete at the Paralympics, was confined to a wheelchair in 1999 owing to a spinal tumour which made her paralysed from waist down.

Deepa's Silver was India's third medal at the prestigious quadrennial event. Earlier, Thangavelu Mariyappan and Varun Singh Bhati won gold and bronze respectively in the high jump T-42 event.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also congratulated Deepa on her amazing feat, saying, "Well done @DeepaAthlete! Your silver at the #Paralympics makes the nation very proud. Congratulations. #Rio2016"