Ekta Bhyan

Ekta Bhyan was born on June 7, 1985, in Hisar, Haryana, India. In 2003, at the age of 18, she experienced a road accident that resulted in a spinal cord injury, leading to lower limb paralysis. After completing her education with a graduation and post-graduation in English from Hisar, she also obtained a bachelor’s degree in education. She was selected as an English PGT for the Haryana Government and later cleared the Haryana Civil Services Examination in 2011, becoming an Employment Officer.

Bhyan commenced her para-athletics career in 2015, motivated by fellow athlete Amit Saroha. Her competitive debut was at the 2016 IPC Grand Prix in Berlin, where she secured a silver medal in club throw. Subsequently, she won a gold medal in club throw and a bronze medal in discus throw at the 2016 National Para Athletics Championship in Panchkula. Her achievements continued with two gold medals at the 2017 National Championship and setting new Asian records in both club and discus throw at the 2017 IPC Grand Prix in Dubai, where she ranked 4th overall. That same year, she finished 6th in club throw at her first World Championships in London, being the top Asian competitor. By 2018, she had secured gold medals in both club and discus throw at the National Championship in Panchkula and won gold in club throw and bronze in discus throw at the IPC Grand Prix in Tunisia. In October 2018, she made history by winning India’s fourth gold medal at the Asian Para Games in Jakarta, achieving a throw of 16.02m in the F32/51 event, becoming the second Indian woman and first from Haryana to win gold at the Asian Para Games.

Her career progressed with a Paralympic quota for the Tokyo 2020 Games after her performance at the 2019 World Championships in Dubai. She represented India at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics in 2021, finishing 6th in the club throw event. In the same year, she won gold medals in both club and discus throw at the Indian Open Para Athletics Championships and the National Para Athletics Championships. In 2022, she continued her dominance, securing gold in both events at the National Para Athletics Championships and gold in club throw and bronze in discus throw at the Indian Open Para Athletics Championships. In 2023, she earned a bronze medal in the Women’s Club Throw F32/51 at the Asian Para Games in Hangzhou, bronze in the women’s club throw F51 at the World Para Athletics Grand Prix in Dubai, and another bronze in the women’s club throw F51 event at the World Championships in Paris. Throughout these years, she also consistently secured gold and bronze medals in club and discus throw at the National Para Athletics Championships and Indian Open Para Athletics Championships. In 2024, she won gold at the World Championships in Kobe and silver at the 2025 World Championships in New Delhi.