The former Asian record holder and two-time Asian Games champion clinched gold in the men’s shot put, before sharing a heartwarming moment as he posed with his daughter after the victory.

Toor delivered a strong series, with all three of his valid attempts crossing the 20-metre mark — an encouraging sign as he builds momentum for the upcoming season.

Making the moment even more memorable, his family was present in the stands to witness the performance, including his newly born daughter — and the champion certainly did not disappoint.

 

The young thrower clinched the gold medal in the men’s U-18 javelin throw at the Indian Open Throws meet in Patiala with a personal best of 70.62 metres.

In a competitive field, only two athletes managed to breach the 70-metre mark. Vishal led the competition with his 70.62m effort, while Rajat Kumar followed closely with a 70.52m throw.

A strong performance from the young javelin thrower, highlighting the growing depth in India’s junior throwing events.

 

Nishchay delivered an outstanding performance at the Indian Open Throws in Patiala, dominating the U-18 throwing events.

On the second day of competition, Nishchay clinched gold in the men’s U-18 discus throw with a massive personal best of 63.90 metres.

The throw came agonizingly close to the long-standing national record of 64.09 metres, set by Arjun in 2010 — missing it by just 0.19 metres, less than 20 centimetres.

A day earlier, the young thrower had already secured gold in the men’s U-18 shot put with another personal best of 19.78 metres.

Two events, two victories, and two personal bests — an exceptional outing that signals the arrival of one of India’s most promising young throwers.

 

Sachin Yadav — Asian Championships medallist and World Championships finalist — was spotted watching the men’s javelin throw competition in Patiala.

Also present alongside him was India’s javelin coach Sergey Makarov.

Their presence comes just minutes before Shivam Lohakare is set to take the runway.

Notably, Lohakare has been training under Makarov for the past two months at New Delhi’s Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium — a preparation phase that now leads into his competition in Patiala.

Shivam Lohakare announced his arrival in style, becoming the first Indian to cross the 80-metre mark in 2026.

In his season opener, Lohakare produced a stunning throw of 81.08 metres on his very first attempt, immediately setting the tone for the year ahead.

The effort places him among the early global leaders this season, as he becomes only the fourth javelin thrower in the world to breach the 80m mark in 2026.

Importantly, the throw also comfortably surpasses the qualification standard for the Asian Games, marking a major milestone in his campaign.

A statement start to the season — and a name Indian athletics fans will be hearing a lot more of.

Remember the name: Shivam Lohakare.

Kirpal Singh won gold in the discus throw at the Indian Open Throws meet with a throw of 58.89m, the best mark by an Indian in the last three years.
Before this, the last better mark by an Indian was also by Kirpal himself when he threw his lifetime best of 61.83m in 2022.
The 33-year-old returned last year after serving a doping ban that was initially four years but later reduced to two years by the NADA Anti-Doping Appeal Panel (ADAP).
The Indian Open Throws in Patiala witnessed a standout performance in the Men’s U-18 Shot Put category, headlined by a commanding gold medal win from Nishchay.
Championship Performance
Nishchay secured the top spot on the podium with a personal best throw of 19.78m. Following his victory, he stated that his primary goal for the year is to secure a gold medal at the U-20 World Championships.
The Podium Results
  • 1st Place: Nishchay – 19.78m
  • 2nd Place: Yuvraj – 17.83m
  • 3rd Place: Raihan Choudhary – 17.83m
The Tie-Breaker Decision
The battle for the remaining medals was incredibly close, with Yuvraj and Raihan Choudhary recording identical best throws of 17.83m. Yuvraj was awarded the silver medal because his second-best throw of 17.40m outperformed Choudhary’s second-best attempt, relegating the latter to the bronze.
Tanya Chaudhary won the gold medal in the women’s hammer throw with a best throw of 61.09m at the Indian Open Throws in Patiala.
In January 2026, Tanya won gold in the women’s hammer throw at the All India Inter-University Athletics Championships, registering a personal best of 65.60m.
The throw was better than the current Indian national record (65.25m by Sarita Singh), making it the longest distance ever achieved by an Indian woman in competition conditions.
However, the performance will not be officially recognised, as the All India Inter-University Championships are not World Athletics–certified.
Karnataka’s M. Reddy Sanjana won the gold medal in the women’s U-18 shot put with a best throw of 15.30m.
This is also her personal best, improving from her previous best of 12.84m, which she achieved last year.
She improved by 2.46m .
Only two athletes participated in this event, Reddy Sanjana and Aarti (13.22m). Why were there so few participants?
INDIAN OPEN THROWS 2026
World-Class Miler Festus Lagat Takes Suspension Fight to CAS
Kenyan 1500m star Festus Lagat has filed an emergency appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) following a suspension for whereabouts failures by the Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya (ADAK). Lagat is seeking an immediate ruling to allow him to compete for Kenya at the upcoming World Athletics Indoor Championships.
The High Stakes
Lagat established himself as a global powerhouse last season, clocking a blistering 3:29.03 at the Paris Diamond League. That performance ranked him as the fourth fastest athlete in the world over 1500m for the year, making him a major medal contender for the world stage.
The Legal Argument
In a statement to LetsRun.com, Lagat’s attorney, Paul Greene, criticized the Kenyan agency’s approach to the case. Greene claimed that ADAK appears to be on a “campaign to ruin the lives of many athletes” in an effort to prove its toughness to the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and avoid being declared non-compliant.
  • The Violation: Whereabouts failures reported by ADAK.
  • The Goal: Emergency clearance for the World Athletics Indoor Championships.
  • The Performance: Ranked 4th in the world (3:29.03 PB) last season.
If the CAS appeal is successful, it could shift the podium outlook for the 1500m at the World Indoors. If denied, it marks another high-profile blow to Kenya’s middle-distance roster amidst increasing anti-doping scrutiny in the region.