On day three of the Asian Athletics Championships 2023 in Bangkok (Thailand), the 28-year-old Tajinderpal Singh Toor expectedly shined in the men’s shot put as he won the gold medal for India.
In the men’s shot put, Toor produced the best throw of the event in his second attempt with a distance of 20.23m. Though the Indian shot putter withdrew the last four attempts due to a groin injury, he secured the gold medal for India with his second throw.
Toor’s injury scare has raised concern for the country over his participation in the upcoming World Athletics Championships 2023 in Budapest (Hungary), which will begin on 19 August 2023.
Iranian Mehdi Saberi bagged the silver medal (19.98m), and Kazakhstan’s Ivan Ivanov celebrated with the bronze medal (19.87m) in the shot put event at Bangkok.
Tajinderpal Singh Toor created history
After Qatari Bilal Saad Mubarak (1995 and 1998; 2002 and 2003) and Kuwaiti Mohd Gharib Al Zinkawi (1979, 1981 and 1983), Toor became the third shot putter in the Asian Athletics Championships history to defend the title. In the 2019 edition at Doha, Toor won his first gold medal in the Asian Athletics Championships.
Who is Tajinderpal Singh Toor?
Toor holds the men’s shot put (outdoor) Asian and national record with a distance of 21.77m. Last month, during the National Championships 2023, Toor broke his previous Asian and national record (21.49m) to set up a new history.
Before winning his first Asian Athletics Championships gold medal in the 2019 edition, Toor also won a silver in the Asian Athletics Championships 2017.
In the Asian Games 2018, Toor won the gold medal in men’s shot put (19.42m).
Early this year (in February), shot putter Toor won a gold medal in the Asian Indoor Championships 2023 (19.49m). Previously, in the 2018 edition of this competition, he won the silver medal (19.18m).
Four-time National Championships gold medalist Toor has won gold medals in all seven participated competitions in 2023, including the latest Asian Athletics Championships 2023.
