At 19, Bengaluru’s Sohursh Shankar is a State and National Champion, a World Championship gold medallist — and an athlete with Down syndrome. But his greatest achievement may be what sport has given him beyond the podium.

A few months ago, Sohursh Shankar’s family was trying to find a way to get him to Manchester.

On September 10, the 19-year-old stepped onto the AWPC World Powerlifting Championship platform carrying the Indian flag.

He came home with gold.

Competing in the 75 kg Junior Special Olympics Classic Raw category, Sohursh weighed in at 69.8 kg and lifted his way to first place in his category — and a gold medal for India.

90 kg Squat50 kg Bench Press102.5 kg Deadlift242.5 kg Total1st Gold, 75kg Junior

The medal, though, is only part of the story.

And then there is Sohursh himself.

Ask him about Manchester and he doesn’t talk first about the numbers or the medal. He talks about how happy he was to be there — travelling to a new country, meeting people, seeing the competition and getting onto the platform.

“I feel very happy and proud. It was very special for me to represent India. I was excited to compete in Manchester, and winning Gold made me very, very happy. I really enjoyed the whole experience.”

An athlete, developing.

Sohursh has Down syndrome. He is also a WPC State and National Champion who has spent years training, competing and pushing himself to the next level. At the 2025 WPC India National Championship, competing in the 67.5 kg category, he posted a 191 kg total. Less than a year later in AWPC, Manchester, that total had climbed to 242.5 kg — a gain of 51.5 kg in under twelve months.

That progression tells the story of an athlete developing.

But ask his family what sport has done for Sohursh and the answer goes well beyond kilograms lifted.

Training has helped him become stronger and healthier. Competition has given him goals, discipline and a reason to keep pushing himself. Sport has brought confidence, friendships and a sense of belonging. It has given him experiences that stretch beyond the familiar and, perhaps most importantly, an identity that is his own.

He is an athelete

“Watching him carry the Indian flag and then stand on that podium was an incredibly proud moment,” said Anitha Shankar, Sohursh’s mother. “But what stayed with us was not just the medal. It was watching him experience the whole journey — the excitement of travelling, being in a new country, meeting people and walking into an international competition knowing that he belonged there.”

“What sport has given Sohursh goes far beyond a medal. It has made a difference to his physical health, his confidence and his emotional wellbeing. It has given him friendships, a sense of belonging and something to work towards. Most importantly, it has helped him see himself as an athlete and believe in what he can achieve.”

“The Gold has also made us think about what comes next — how we can create a pathway where young adults like Sohursh can continue to pursue sport while also building independence, vocational skills and a meaningful adult life.”

When the right support meets ability

Getting to the World Championships required more than sporting ability. It required training, coaching, travel and financial support.

Earlier this year, the Shankars were looking for sponsorship to make the international opportunity possible. Finolex Industries Limited and its CSR partner Mukul Madhav Foundation stepped in, supporting Sohursh through his first individual sports sponsorship.

For Mukul Madhav Foundation, the experience has also reinforced what purposeful CSR can achieve.

“Sohursh’s achievement is a powerful reminder of what timely support, determination and belief can make possible,” said Ritu Hinduja-Chhabria, Mukul Madhav Foundation. “For us at Mukul Madhav Foundation, this is also what meaningful CSR can look like — recognising potential, stepping in at the right time and creating an opportunity for a young athlete to pursue his aspirations at the highest level. We were privileged to meet Sohursh and flag him off on his journey from Bengaluru to Manchester, and seeing him return with gold for India has been incredibly special. His journey shows how the right kind of support can create an impact that goes far beyond one competition or one medal.”

For WPC India, Sohursh’s journey also highlights the importance of creating opportunities for athletes across abilities.

“Sohursh’s journey is an example of what can happen when an athlete is given the opportunity, the right sporting environment and the support to pursue that opportunity. For athletes with special needs, access to competitive sport and international platforms can be particularly meaningful — not only for their sporting development, but also for confidence, independence and representation. At the same time, talent alone is not always enough. Sponsorship can make the difference between an athlete having the ability to compete and actually getting the opportunity to do so. We hope Sohursh’s achievement encourages more organisations to support athletes across abilities and help them take their talent to the global stage.”

— Daljit Singh, President, WPC India

But perhaps one of the most striking things about Sohursh’s Manchester experience was how much he enjoyed the journey itself. He loved the airports. The travel. Being in a new country. Meeting people. Watching the competition. Getting ready for his own event. And finally walking onto the platform.

For his family, those moments mattered just as much as the medal.

Because every new experience adds another piece to the young adult Sohursh is becoming.

What comes next

Sohursh is only 19. He now has to keep training, competing and developing while navigating the same transition as any young person his age — education, vocation, independence, learning to advocate for himself. His family and supporters are beginning to ask a bigger question: what would it look like to build places where young adults with intellectual disabilities can train seriously while also developing vocational skills, work readiness, independence and the confidence to navigate adult life?

For Sohursh, sport has already shown that it can be much more than competition. It has helped shape his health, confidence, relationships and identity.

Perhaps the next step is to build environments where those things can grow together.

Because Sohursh’s gold medal is not simply a story about what happened in Manchester.

It is a glimpse of what can happen when a young person is given something meaningful to strive for — and the opportunity to discover just how much he is capable of.

About Sohursh Shankar

Sohursh Shankar is a 19-year-old powerlifter from Bengaluru who has Down syndrome. A WPC State and National Champion, he won gold in the Junior Special Olympics Classic Raw (75 kg) category at the AWPC World Powerlifting Championships 2026 in Manchester, competing under the Indian flag.

About Finolex Industries Limited

Finolex Industries Limited is India’s largest manufacturer of PVC pipes and fittings and one of the country’s leading producers of PVC resin, with manufacturing facilities in Maharashtra and Gujarat. This sponsorship marks the company’s first individual athlete sponsorship in sport.

About Mukul Madhav Foundation

Mukul Madhav Foundation (MMF) is Finolex Industries’ CSR partner, an India-based charitable trust active since 1999 across healthcare, education, community welfare, water conservation and support for differently-abled individuals.

Pictures – https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1I8Ld_B_AOQCOtLq_daHgDrP-YkqugkZq?usp=share_link

Other links: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:ugcPost:7504108582880256000/ – By Ritu Hinduja Chhabria,

leading the Mukul Madhav Foundation

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/ani

“Sohursh’s achievement is a wonderful reminder that young adults with Down syndrome need opportunities to pursue interests, develop skills and discover their own identity beyond the traditional expectations placed on them. Sport can provide much more than competition — it can build confidence, discipline, friendships, independence and a sense of belonging. Seeing Sohursh represent India on an international stage is an encouraging example of what becomes possible when opportunity is genuinely available.”
— Dr. Surekha Ramachandran, President, Down Syndrome Federation of India