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Kolkata: Hokato Hotozhe Sema could not have asked for a bigger boost ahead of the Para Asian Games. On Monday, the Nagaland athlete became the first Paralympian to receive the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal (AVSM), conferred by President Droupadi Murmu during the Defence Investiture Ceremony 2026 (Phase-II) at Rashtrapati Bhavan.AVSM is among the country’s highest peacetime military honours and is awarded for distinguished service of an exceptional order. The honour comes after Sema won bronze in the men’s F57 shot put at Paris Paralympics and as he prepares for Para Asian Games in Aichi Prefecture, Japan, in October.
“My goal is to reach the top of the podium. I want to throw beyond 16m and consistently compete at that level,” said Sema, who qualified for Asiad after winning gold at Indian Open International Para Athletics Championships in Bengaluru last month with a national-record throw of 15.
21m.Despite his Paralympic success, Sema endured a disappointing World Para Athletics Championships in New Delhi last year and also struggled with injuries. But he made a strong comeback, winning gold at the National Para Athletics Championships in Bhubaneswar in March with a throw of 15. 19m before improving the mark in Bengaluru.“I had been targeting this competition for a long time. When I got injured during training, I was very disheartened because I couldn’t train properly,” said Sema, who trains under coach Rakesh Rawat.
“Even the day before the competition, I had an issue with my hamstring. But once I regained some confidence and stepped into the competition, things worked out well.”Away from sports, life has changed dramatically for the Army subedar, who lost his left leg below the knee in a landmine blast in 2002. He has since bought an apartment in Dimapur and is building a house for his family in P. Vihoto village in Nagaland, which is being overseen by his wife Thanihring Aye, who has been his biggest support since he began this journey.“There were times when people in the village would question what I was doing. They would tell my parents that I had spent so many years in service and sport without achieving much,” Sema said.“I always told my parents not to worry and that one day the hard work would pay off.”Reacting to the honour, Col Gaurav Dutta, who introduced Sema to para sports in 2016 while serving as Officer-in-Charge of the Army Paralympic Node in Pune, said the recognition was richly deserved.“Any recognition from your organisation is inspiring. Receiving an award from the President of India at such a prestigious ceremony makes it even more special. After all, how often does a person get the opportunity to stand before the President and receive an honour?” he said of Sema, who was conferred the Arjuna award in 2025.And the people of Nagaland could not be prouder of their son of the soil.“You have scaled heights that none before you from our land had reached … you have ventured into uncharted territory and opened new horizons for our people,” wrote Abu Metha, advisor to Nagaland chief minister Neiphiu Rio, in a social media post.“You have made us immensely proud. You gave us tears of joy. You are a hero, an inspiration, a nation builder and a shining triumph of the human spirit.”Pic caption: Hokato Hotozhe Sema during a training session and (pic right) receiving the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal from President Droupadi Murmu in New Delhi on Monday
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