Dilbag Suthar was only five years old when an accident changed his life forever. Growing up in Kalwas village in Hisar district of Haryana, he was like any other child – full of energy and dreams. But one day, while returning home through the fields, he met with a serious accident. Dilbag lost one of his legs. For his family, the tragedy brought a huge financial burden. His family’s livelihood was dependent on selling milk from their cows and buffalo. As the family had very little money, paying for medical treatment became very difficult.
To save their son, Dilbag’s father borrowed money from different people. When the debt became too much to repay, the family had no choice but to sell their land. It was a painful decision, but for his father, his son’s life was more important than anything else.
The support of a father
Dilbag’s story is incomplete without mentioning his father. When Dilbag was growing up, he always had his father by his side to support him in every thick and thin. Despite financial difficulties, he made sure there was no shortage of nutritious food for Dilbag.
His father had once been interested in sports himself. As a young man, he played circle kabaddi, but due to a lack of family support and opportunities, he could not pursue his dreams. He decided that his son would not face the same situation. Hence, he dedicated himself to helping Dilbag succeed.
The first step towards sports
Despite losing his leg, Dilbag never stopped moving forward. In 2013, he participated in district-level wheelchair and tricycle races and won a gold medal. In 2017, he competed at Eklavya Stadium in Jind and won two silver medals.
2021 was a year of transformations for him. His father started taking him regularly to the stadium for training. At that time, Dilbag did not have a running blade. He trained on one leg, doing everything he could with the resources available to him.
His family was facing another challenge. They did not even own a proper motorcycle to travel to the stadium, hence they had to borrow bikes from different people for several days. To solve this problem, they repaired an old motorcycle at home and started using it for daily travel.
A gift that changed everything
After two to three months of training, some generous donors came forward and helped arrange a running blade for Dilbag. In January 2022, he began training with the blade. It was a completely new experience. On this journey, several people supported him, be it coaches, teachers, or well-wishers. Every bit of support helped him move one step closer to his dreams.
His efforts started showing results. In 2023, he won his first national gold medal in Solapur. He could see years of struggle, sacrifice, and dedication, finally paying off. He continued his training with full dedication. His performances at the national level proved that he was ready for bigger challenges.
When he performed at an international level
In December 2024, he represented India at an international competition in Thailand. Competing against athletes from different countries, he won the gold medal in the 100-metre race. For a boy who had once struggled to walk after losing his leg, standing on the top podium and hearing India’s name announced was a moment to fix in his heart forever.
Just a few months later, in February 2025, he travelled to Dubai for the Fazza International Championship. Once again, he performed brilliantly and won a bronze medal in the long jump. In Thailand, he completed the 100-metre race in 17.57 seconds. In Dubai, he recorded a long jump of 3.74 metres.
Continuing to dream bigger and bigger
Today, Dilbag trains at the Giri Centre of Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University in Hisar. Along with sports, he is pursuing his B.Com. He now aspires to represent India at the Paralympic Games.
Dilbag’s story is not an ordinary story. It is the story of a boy who didn’t lose hope. It is the story of a father who sold his land, trained his son and devoted his life to his son’s future. It is the story of a family that faced financial hardship but never gave up.
