Who is Dilip Gavit? Meet Indian para sprinter who won historic T47 100m gold at Commonwealth Games 2026

Dilip Mahadu Gavit made history at the Commonwealth Games (CWG) 2026 in Glasgow on Wednesday, becoming the first Indian to win the men's 100m T47 event at the Games.

T47 is a track and field classification for athletes with upper-limb impairments, including below-elbow or wrist amputations, or comparable limitations in muscle strength or range of motion.

He also set a new Commonwealth Games record by winning the race in 10.71 seconds, beating the previous record of 10.94 seconds that England's Emmanuel Oyinbo-Coker set during the Commonwealth Games 2022 in Birmingham. Dilip Gavit shattered this record by 0.23 seconds.

His triumph was made even more memorable as fellow Indian Mohammed Basil Morssinganakathi finished second in 10.83 seconds, giving India a historic one-two finish (gold and silver) in the event—another first for the country in the men's T47 100m at the Commonwealth Games.

“The start was a bit slow, but then I gradually picked up pace, and it felt great to win," Gavit told media persons after his victory in Glasgow. “The weather was not good, and I had difficulty getting my timing right. The body becomes slow, and it is difficult to warm up,” he added.

Who is Dilip Mahadu Gavit?

Dilip Gavit was born on 21 April 2003 in Toran Dongari, a small village in Maharashtra's Nashik, to a family of farmers. He used to help his parents in the fields from a very young age.

At the age of five or six, Gavit's life changed dramatically after he fell from a tree and suffered a serious injury to his right arm. With medical care not arriving in time, the wound developed into gangrene, forcing doctors to amputate his arm below the elbow.

Rather than allowing the setback to shape his life, Gavit channelled his determination into athletics. He began running on the dirt tracks and village roads of his hometown before coming under the guidance of coach Vaijnath Kale, who spotted his potential and helped him transition into competitive para-athletics.

Years of perseverance transformed Gavit from a rural runner into one of India's leading para-athletes.

He clinched the gold medal in the men's 400m T47 event at the Asian Para Games 2022, a victory that also brought India its landmark 100th medal at the competition. Two years later, he earned another major milestone by qualifying for the final of the men's 400m T47 event at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.

At the World Para Athletics Championships 2023 in Paris, Gavit finished fourth in the men's 400m event, and two years later, at the same event in New Delhi, he finished fourth again. In 2025, he won gold at the New Delhi Grand Prix.

He has enjoyed an eventful 2026, too, winning the men's 100m T47 races in the India Open and the New Delhi Grand Prix.

Gavit has received financial assistance from the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sport for seven events: Paris World Championship 2023, 4th Asian Para Games (Hangzhou, China) 2023, Paris Paralympic Games 2024, Tunisia Grand Prix 2025, Delhi Grand Prix 2025, Delhi Para World Championships 2025 and Dubai Grand Prix 2026.

The 23-year-old is not planning to rest on his laurels, and he already has the 2026 Asian Games and the 2028 Los Angeles Paralympics on his mind. “I am not thinking about doing a job now, my target is to win medals,” he told media persons. “I am sure I will do better at the upcoming Para Asian Games in September-October in Japan and then the Paralympics,” Gavit said.