National Games 2025 Athletics: Tajinderpal Singh Toor bounces back after Paris disappointment, clinches shot put gold

After a disappointing outing at the Paris 2024 Olympics, Asian Games gold medallist Tajinderpal Singh Toor made a strong comeback by winning the gold medal in the men’s shot put event at the National Games 2025 on Monday, February 10.

The experienced Punjab athlete delivered a best throw of 19.74m at the Ganga Athletics Ground, Maharana Pratap Sports College in Uttarakhand, securing the top spot on the podium. As a result, he surpassed the qualification standard for the Asian Athletics Championships 2025 set at 19.10m.

The victory marked an important turnaround for Toor, who had struggled at the Paris 2024 Olympics, where he finished 15th in the 16-man qualification round with a best effort of 18.05m, failing to meet the direct qualification mark for the final. The National Games was his first major competition since that setback, and he responded in style with a gold-medal performance.

Toor, a former Asian record holder, is one of India's most accomplished shot putters. He holds the national record of 21.77m. He is a two-time Asian Games gold medallist, four-time national champion, and an Olympian. His best-ever effort at the Asian Games remains 20.75m, which is the current Games record.

Despite his vast experience, he has faced injury setbacks in recent years, including a wrist injury that derailed his campaign at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.

At the National Games, Tajinderpal Singh Toor's gold-winning performance saw him lead a competitive field, with Punjab’s Samardeep Singh Gill securing the silver medal with a throw of 19.38m, also surpassing the Asian Athletics Championships qualification mark. Prabhkirpal Singh claimed bronze with a best effort of 19.04m.

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National Games 2025 Athletics: Men's Shot Put Final Results

1. Tajinderpal Singh Toor – 19.74m (Gold)
2. Samardeep Singh Gill – 19.38m (Silver)
3. Prabhkirpal Singh – 19.04m (Bronze)
4. Aniket – 17.94m
5. Sanyam Sanjay – 17.83m
6. Aryan Tyagi – 17.74m
7. Dhanvir Singh – 17.66m
8. Amandeep Singh – 17.12m
9. Vanam Sharma – DNS
10. Asish Bhalothia – DNS