Inter-State Championships: Tajinderpal Singh Toor overcomes personal loss and injuries to shatter Asian shot put record Premium

Tajinderpal Singh Toor broke his own shot put National record and Asian record with a massive throw of 21.77m under floodlights in Bhubaneswar at the Inter-State Championships.

Tajinderpal Singh Toor had broken his own shot put National record and Asian record with a massive throw of 21.77m under floodlights in Bhubaneswar at the Inter-State Championships.

While Tajinder was pleased with the outcome of a phenomenal feat, there were no over-the-top celebrations. “I am not happy,” he says. “My dadi (grandmother) passed away three days back.” The loss was so personal for Tajinder that he considered skipping the Inter-State meet, which is the qualifier for the Asian Games.

“At first, I didn’t feel like coming here but it was compulsory for everyone to come here and play. I just wanted to get in a few throws and leave,” says Tajinder.

In the final, his first attempt was a big 21.09m — no one else in the field got to even 20m — followed by a foul throw, which was long too. When he threw his third attempt, he knew it was a record as soon as it went past the 21m mark. When the official reading was announced, he let out a roar and looked to the skies with his hands raised in thanks. His throw of 21.77m booked him a berth at the World Championships in Budapest in August.

“When I realised I broke the record, I got a little emotional. My eyes went moist and I was thinking about my grandmother. I want to dedicate this competition to my dadi,” he says, acknowledging the role she played early in his journey. “My dadi was the one who used to support me a lot before I had a job. When I was in Canada, she would send me money and help me a lot. I never had any sponsorship then.”

It has been a tough couple of years for Tajinder with injury setbacks and personal tragedies. After his previous National record throw (21.49m) in 2021, there were high hopes for him at the Tokyo Olympics. But a fracture to his throwing hand in the lead-up to the Games meant he ended the campaign on a disappointing note.

The 28-year-old had missed the World Championships and the Commonwealth Games last year after surgery to the fractured hand. Then in December, his wife had to undergo an abortion due to a complication in the pregnancy.