Nagoya: Tajinderpal Singh Toor had to wait until his fifth attempt to make his mark. The defending Asian Games champion then produced a throw of 20.64m to win silver at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.

Toor was in third place after four rounds. However, his fifth throw moved him into second, just 17 centimetres short of gold.

The silver also secured his third consecutive Asian Games medal, adding another achievement to the career of one of India’s most decorated field athletes.

Toor Delivers When It Matters Most

For Toor, the medal was about more than another podium finish.

Questions had surrounded his selection and fitness ahead of the Games. He had also faced public accusations of faking injuries. Those claims were contested, but they added to the attention surrounding the 31-year-old in the build-up to Nagoya.

Once the competition began, Toor had the opportunity to respond through his performance.

He did so with a throw of 20.64m.

His series showed a difficult start, with throws of 20.06m, 20.26m, 19.77m and 19.71m in the first four rounds.

However, with the podium still within reach, he produced his best effort on the fifth attempt. His final throw was a foul.

The fifth-round effort proved decisive in securing silver.

Third Consecutive Asian Games Medal

Toor has now won medals at three successive editions of the Asian Games.

He claimed gold in Jakarta in 2018 and defended his title in Hangzhou in 2022. He has now added silver in Nagoya.

The result highlights his consistency at the continental level. He has remained among Asia’s leading shot putters for nearly a decade.

Although he could not secure a third consecutive gold, the silver extends his impressive record at the Games.

From a Village in Punjab to Asian Games Champion

Toor’s journey began in Khosa Pando village in Moga, Punjab, where he grew up in a farming family.

He initially wanted to become a cricketer. However, his father encouraged him to take up shot put.

Toor later joined the Indian Navy through its sports quota and built his career around the event.

His first major international breakthrough came in 2017, when he won silver at the Asian Athletics Championships in Bhubaneswar.

A year later, he delivered the performance that established him as one of India’s leading throwers.

The 2018 Asian Games Gold That Changed His Career

At the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta, Toor threw 20.75m to win gold.

The performance also broke both the Asian Games and Indian national records. It was India’s first athletics gold medal at those Games.

The victory came after a disappointing eighth-place finish at the 2018 Commonwealth Games.

His response in Jakarta marked a major turning point in his career.

Toor went on to win the Asian Championships title in 2019. He also qualified for the Tokyo Olympics after producing a massive 21.49m throw in 2021, which set national and Asian records at the time.

Setbacks, Comebacks and a National Record

Toor’s career has also included difficult moments.

At the Tokyo Olympics, he competed with a heavily bandaged shoulder but failed to reach the final.

However, he returned to the top in the years that followed.

He won gold medals at the Asian Indoor and Asian Championships before retaining his Asian Games title in Hangzhou.

His current national record stands at 21.77m, set in 2023.

That mark reflects the level he has reached during his career. In Nagoya, however, his immediate goal was not to break the national record. It was to secure a place on the podium.

Fifth-Round Throw Secures Silver in Nagoya

For four rounds, a medal remained uncertain.

Then came the fifth attempt.

20.64m. Silver.

It was not the gold Toor had won at the previous two Asian Games. Nevertheless, the result extended one of the most impressive medal runs in Indian athletics.

After facing questions ahead of the competition, Toor delivered his response on the throwing circle.

Tajinderpal Singh Toor has secured his third consecutive Asian Games medal, adding a silver in Nagoya to his two previous golds.