By Sundeep Misra
Twilight had slipped away. Amidst the shadows, Tajinderpal Singh Toor rubbed magnesium carbonate on his palms – big, wide, powerful hands that looked like Sal tree leaves.
Toor needed to qualify for the upcoming Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, and this was his final opportunity. His first throw of 19.98m served as a decent warmup. Then, as the light faded, his second attempt reached 20.29m. It was the spark he needed, though he still circled the throwing perimeter anxiously.
You see, Toor is a heavyweight of the sport. He set the National Record of 21.77m back in June 2023, but that elusive 22m barrier has been playing hard to get. Breaking it wouldn’t just make him the first Indian to cross the milestone; it would catapult him into the absolute elite tier of global shot put. Right now, the world standard sits a good meter away. To put that in perspective, the World Record stands at an astonishing 23.56m, set by America’s triple Olympic gold medallist Ryan Crouser.
Standing at 6’0”, Toor faces a massive physical disadvantage against the world’s giants. Ryan Crouser is 6’7”; Tom Walsh is 6’1”and Joe Kovacs is 6’0” but with a massive, intimidating bulk.
When you factor in wingspans, Toor has to work twice as hard. To compensate for his shorter stature, his release angle and height of release have to be absolutely flawless. A single degree of error can cost him half a meter. At a major international competition, that kind of deficit is simply too much to overcome.
Back at the Guru Nanak Stadium, the competition pressed on. Punjab’s Karamveer Singh managed a 19.21m on his second try, while Toor responded with a 20.18m on his third. The reigning Asian Games champion was slowly finding his rhythm, a relief after recently being pushed to second place at the National Federation Cup by Samardeep Singh Gill.
At 31, Toor is entering the twilight of an elite thrower’s career. While track athletes can still hunt for podiums past 34, shot put is uniquely unforgiving.
Toor’s rotational technique is flawless – a mesmerizing, fluid spin that transfers explosive power from his lower body straight into the iron ball. But that constant torque has exacted a heavy toll. Over the years, his throwing wrist and groin have repeatedly broken down, constantly forcing him back to square one.
Whenever Toor tries to push past the 21.50m mark, his circle management tends to collapse. To generate that world-class power, you have to ramp up the rotational speed, making it difficult to brake your momentum at the front edge of the circle. One tiny slip, and it’s a red flag.
The reality of the sport is stark. In Asia, Toor is undisputed royalty. But in the West, throwing 21m barely gets a nod. You only enter the conversation at 22m. Because Toor completely dominates the domestic and continental circuit, it has, one can argue, led to a tactical plateau. He simply hasn’t been pushed hard enough at home.
Yet, none of that mattered in the gloom of the stadium. Squinting through the darkness, relying purely on muscle memory, Toor stepped up for his sixth and final throw with his Commonwealth Games spot on the line.
He launched a massive heave: 20.72m.
With the qualification standard set at 20.36m, he had done it. He turned to the small, passionate pack of fans cheering in the stands, acknowledged them, and knelt on the turf in a quiet moment of gratitude.
“I came here thinking that I would do well,” Toor admitted while pausing for selfies with fans. “Right now, I haven’t completely freed my body; I’m still training under heavy load. The circle was also a little slippery, which spoiled a couple of my attempts. I was aiming for a 21-plus throw, but otherwise, it was fine.”
Characteristically, he stayed clear of any drama regarding the lack of floodlights for the throwing events. “For shot putters, the light was enough,” he smiled. “The arrangements were good. They actually moved us from the afternoon heat to a 7:30 PM evening slot, which helped.”
Now, his eyes are firmly fixed on Glasgow. “That is my target. I am praying that, God willing, there should be a new national and Asian record. The rest is in God’s hands. A person alone cannot do anything.”
Toor is undeniably India’s greatest-ever shot putter. But to transition from the king of Asia to a genuine global medal contender, Glasgow demands something bigger. The puzzle isn’t his raw strength, it’s staying injury-free and perfecting the physics of his release. Here’s hoping he finds that perfect spin and becomes the first Indian to clear 22m.
India’s distance running star Parul Chaudhary delivered a landmark performance on the international stage, finishing second in the women’s 5000m at the Meeting Nikaïa while rewriting the Indian national record with a sensational timing of 15:04.26.
The run marks one of the biggest breakthroughs in Indian middle and long-distance running in recent years, as Parul continues her steady rise on the global circuit.
New national record and major leap in performance
With her latest effort, Parul has:
Set a new Indian national record in the women’s 5000m
Clocked 15:04.26, improving her previous best of 15:10.35
Sliced nearly six seconds off her lifetime best, which she had set in 2023
Achieved the 3rd-fastest 5000m time in Asia this season.
What makes this performance significant
Breaking a national record in the 5000m by such a margin is a strong indicator of both endurance and tactical improvement. The near six-second improvement over her previous best reflects enhanced race execution, strength development, and sustained speed endurance—key markers in elite distance running.
Shaili Singh won the women’s long jump title at Indian Athletics Series–9 held in Ludhiana, clearing a best of 6.42m.
She was the only athlete in the field to go beyond the 6-metre mark, finishing well ahead of the rest of the competition.
However, the performance was below the Commonwealth Games 2026 qualification standard, which she did not meet on this occasion.
Final standings:
Shaili Singh – 6.42m
Ankita Chaudhary – 5.54m
Punjab’s Harjit Singh emerged as the fastest man at the Indian Athletics Series–9 in Ludhiana, winning the men’s 100m title with a timing of 10.33 seconds.
The performance added another consistent result to what has been a solid sprint season for the 100m specialist.
Season form highlights
Harjit Singh has been in steady form across competitions this year, producing multiple competitive timings:
10.32s – Personal best (legal wind)
10.17s – Wind-assisted (+2.1 m/s)
10.33s – Winner, Indian Series–9
His 10.32s remains his official lifetime best, while the wind-assisted 10.17s run earlier in the season reflected his peak raw speed.
Across events, Harjit has shown consistency in the low-10.3 range, establishing himself as a regular contender in national sprint finals.
His performances have also come in a tightly contested domestic sprint landscape, where margins between podium finishers remain small.
Upcoming challenges
Harjit is expected to feature in upcoming competitions that could see him line up against some of India’s top sprinters, including former training partner and national record holder Gurindervir Singh, as well as Animesh Kujur, the national record holder in the 200m.
World University Games bronze medallist Bhavani Yadav secured the women’s long jump title at the Indian Athletics Series–10 being held at NCOE Trivandrum, producing a best leap of 6.61m with a tailwind of +2.7 m/s.
The mark was the longest jump of the competition and comfortably enough to secure first place. However, because the wind assistance exceeded the permissible limit of +2.0 m/s, the performance will not be eligible for record, ranking, or qualification purposes.
Women’s Long Jump Results
🥇 Bhavani Yadav – 6.61m (+2.7 m/s)
🥈 Mubassina Mohammed – 6.39m (+2.4 m/s)
🥉 Kusuma Ravada – 6.39m (+2.3 m/s)
4️⃣ Abhirami V M – 6.35m (+2.6 m/s)
5️⃣ Pavana Nagaraj – 6.25m (-0.4 m/s)
Bhavani, who won bronze for India at the 2023 World University Games, has consistently been among the country’s leading long jumpers in recent seasons. Her 6.61m effort demonstrated strong form, although the favourable wind conditions mean the jump cannot be considered a legal personal best.
Interestingly, all of the top four finishers recorded their best marks with wind readings above the allowable limit. As a result, Pavana Nagaraj’s 6.25m jump—achieved with a -0.4 m/s headwind—stood as the best legal mark of the competition.
The result also highlighted the depth in Indian women’s long jump, with five athletes clearing 6.25m or farther. The gap between second and fourth place was just four centimetres, reflecting a closely contested competition behind Bhavani’s winning effort.
While the wind conditions prevented the leading marks from counting for qualification or record purposes, the performances provided a useful indication of the athletes’ current form as the domestic athletics season continues.
India’s emerging high jump talents Basant and Ambriesh K cleared the qualification standard for the 2026 World U20 Championships with winning performances at the Indian Athletics Series–10 being held at NCOE Trivandrum.
U20 Asian champion Basant competed in the senior men’s high jump event and secured first place with a clearance of 2.19m, while 18-year-old Ambriesh K won the U20 category with a lifetime best jump of 2.12m.
Results
Senior Men’s High Jump
🥇 Basant – 2.19m
U20 Men’s High Jump
🥇 Ambriesh K – 2.12m (PB)
✅ Both athletes achieved the World U20 qualification standard of 2.12m
Basant, who won the gold medal at the 2026 Asian U20 Athletics Championships, once again demonstrated his consistency by comfortably clearing the qualification mark. Opting to compete in the senior category, he successfully negotiated 2.19m and continued a season that has seen him establish himself as one of India’s most promising jumping prospects.
The 2.19m effort further strengthens his credentials ahead of the World U20 Championships, where he will be among the athletes to watch from the Asian contingent.
The standout breakthrough, however, came from Ambriesh K. The 18-year-old produced the best performance of his young career, clearing 2.12m to set a new personal best and secure qualification for the World U20 Championships.
Ambriesh showed impressive composure throughout the competition, successfully handling increasing heights before achieving the crucial mark that earned him a place on the world stage.
India’s sprint scene witnessed another breakout performance as Harita Bhadra produced a sensational run to win the women’s 200m title at Indian Series–10, clocking a lifetime best of 23.58 seconds. The performance stands as the fastest time by an Indian woman in the 200m this season and currently ranks among the top 12 marks in Asia in 2026.
The 23-year-old sprinter delivered a composed yet explosive race to cap off what has already been a breakthrough year on the national circuit.
Harita’s latest performance is the continuation of a rapidly ascending trajectory across multiple sprint events this year. Earlier in the season, she captured the national indoor 60m title, where she also registered the second-fastest indoor 60m time ever by an Indian woman, underlining her growing reputation as one of India’s most promising short-distance sprinters.
She has also been part of a landmark moment for Indian relay sprinting, featuring in the mixed 4x100m relay team that broke the national record, a performance that also saw the squad outperform the senior national team—an indicator of the depth emerging in Indian sprinting.
Harita’s form has not been limited to the 200m. In her previous outing, she clocked a personal best of 11.55 seconds in the 100m, further highlighting her consistency across sprint distances and her improving speed endurance.
India’s star shot putter Tajinderpal Singh Toor has declared his intent to chase both the national and Asian records after comfortably clearing the Commonwealth Games 2026 qualification standard at the Indian Athletics Series–9.
Toor clinched the men’s shot put title with a best effort of 20.72m, surpassing the CWG qualification mark of 20.36m and underlining his return to competitive consistency after a challenging phase marked by injuries and form fluctuations.
“I am targeting the National and Asian records,” Toor said after his victory.
Strong comeback after injury struggles
The performance is another encouraging sign in Toor’s comeback journey. In recent seasons, the former Asian record holder had struggled to consistently breach the 21m barrier due to injury setbacks and loss of rhythm.
However, he showed early signs of resurgence earlier this season when he produced a strong throw of 21.03m at Indian Athletics Series–3, indicating a return to near peak condition.
His latest 20.72m effort, while below his personal best, reflects improving stability across competitions as he rebuilds towards top international form.
Toor now has his sights firmly set on the Asian record of 21.80m, currently held by Saudi Arabia’s Mohammed Tolo. He also continues to hold India’s national record with a personal best of 21.77m, a mark that previously stood as the Asian record as well.
Given his trajectory, Toor’s focus appears to be shifting from qualification benchmarks to record-level performances once again.
With the Commonwealth Games 2026 qualification standard already secured, Toor’s immediate priority will be consistency at 20.5m–21m range as he builds towards major international competitions.
Two Indian javelin throwers crossed the Commonwealth Games 2026 qualification standard at the ongoing Indian Athletics Series–9, both producing lifetime best performances to finish 1–2 in the competition.
Rohit Yadav won the gold medal with a best throw of 83.76m, while Yashvir took silver with 82.93m. Both marks were new personal bests and comfortably cleared the CWG qualification benchmark.
Final results
Rohit Yadav – 83.76m (PB)
Yashvir – 82.93m (PB)
Double PB performance in qualifying range
The event marked a strong showing from India’s javelin group, with both athletes peaking at the right time in a high-stakes qualification phase. Their throws not only secured podium finishes but also ensured automatic eligibility under CWG 2026 standards.
NC factor adds possible third entry
If Neeraj Chopra successfully meets the CWG 2026 qualification standard in his upcoming competitions following recovery from injury, India could potentially field three javelin throwers at the Commonwealth Games 2026.
Chopra, who has been out of competition since the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo due to a back injury, is expected to return shortly and will also need to achieve the qualifying mark of 82.61m to confirm selection.
NCOE Patiala’s Tanu Chaudhary produced a standout performance at the Indian Athletics Series–10 being held at NCOE Trivandrum, winning the women’s 400m hurdles title with a lifetime best of 59.15 seconds and securing the qualification standard for the 2026 World U20 Championships.
The 17-year-old stopped the clock at 59.15s, achieving two major milestones in the process:
✅ Lifetime Best – 59.15s
✅ World U20 qualification standard achieved
The performance marked an impressive turnaround for Tanu, who endured disappointment in her previous competition. Despite setting a personal best, she narrowly missed the qualification mark for the Asian U20 Championships and was visibly emotional after the race.
At Trivandrum, however, she responded in the best possible manner. Running with confidence and control, Tanu improved her personal best once again and comfortably achieved the World U20 qualification standard.
Her victory was particularly noteworthy given the strength of the performance relative to the rest of the field. Tanu was the youngest athlete in the race, the only competitor to break the one-minute barrier, and recorded the fastest time across all three women’s 400m hurdles finals conducted at the meet.
The result continues a strong season for the young hurdler, who has steadily emerged as one of India’s most promising talents in the event.
For now, the 17-year-old leaves Trivandrum with a national-level title, a new personal best, and a place among India’s qualified athletes for the World U20 Championships.
