Tajinderpal Singh Toor Sets New Asian Games Record of 21.77m in Shotput Just Three Days After Losing His Grandmother

Tajinderpal Singh Toor broke his 21.49m record in shotput with a new limit of 21.77m at the Asian Games, despite losing his grandmother three days ago.

Written by: Arjita Gupta

Edited by: Krutarth Ghosalkar

Last Updated: 2023-06-20 08:15:45

Tajinderpal Singh Toor’s reigned as a champion in Asian Games as his huge shotput throw of a 7.26kg metal ball broke the previous Asian and national record of 21.49m with his current 21.77m distance covered. The last record was two years ago and Toor achieved it all by remembering his late grandmother whom he lost just three days ago. The athlete closed his eyes and threw the ball rushing through the air like a buzz and the audience screamed in delight. Toor said he got emotional after realizing that he broke the record.

He was thinking about his grandmother at that moment and his eyes went moist. He overwhelmed his previous record of 21.49m at last. The Punjab athlete is a favorite of Indians with a record of 21.20m already. Hopes are high on his chances of winning gold later this year at the Hangzhou Asian Games. Toor could not make it to the finals of the Tokyo Olympics and had a difficult couple of years because of a wrist injury for which, he underwent surgery. Due to this, the athlete could not play on the field. The 28-year-old is muscular weighing 150kg is one of the warmest personalities.

Toor said that he is assumed a little arrogant when people see him. However, is a kind and calm person and it is just on the field where aggression is seen. The athlete dedicated the gold medal to his late grandmother. He also attributed the new continental record to her. He recounted how his grandmother would send money for his training needs from Canada and helped him with his expenses even when the athlete got a job in Indian Navy in 2016.

In December, Toor encountered another shock as his wife ran into complications and had an abortion. But the athlete picked himself up even after the setbacks. After the loss of his grandmother, he did not want to attend the interstate meeting. However, he pushed himself into going there as it was an Asian Games trial. He had also strained his groin area before reaching the venue. Toor believed that the almighty will show him the way.

Talking about his grandmother at length, Toor said she bought him kits, shoes, and everything and send him money whenever he required it. The athlete also said his enormous build meant that expenses were higher for him in contrast to an average thrower. Toor said that it was hard to get US size 13 shoes and he had to order them from abroad. However, the soles go flat due to his weight within a couple of months. Even when his school teachers gave up on Toor, the gentle giant took ups and downs in stride and pursued his destiny as a sportsperson.