Tajinderpal Singh Toor Targets 22m to Raise Indian Shot Put Bar

Tajinderpal Singh Toor has set his sights on becoming the first Indian shot putter to breach 22 metres, saying he wants to raise the event’s standard for the next generation in the way Neeraj Chopra has transformed expectations in javelin. The 31-year-old national record holder, whose personal best stands at 21.77m, is also targeting a third consecutive gold medal at the continental event in Aichi-Nagoya starting on September 19.

Toor said the 22m mark is both a personal ambition and a benchmark he hopes will change how Indian athletes view 20m and 21m throws. He believes a new national record would help create a culture in which younger shot putters see 21m as an achievable standard rather than an exceptional one.

A 22m target and a higher benchmark

“It’s my aim and dream to throw 22m and create a national record, so that the younger generation of Indian shot putters think 21m is nothing,” Toor said in an interaction facilitated by the Sports Authority of India.

He pointed to Chopra’s influence on Indian javelin as the model he wants shot put to follow. Chopra’s Olympic gold medal and national record of 90.23m have lifted the benchmark in the discipline, while Rohit Yadav, Kishore Jena, Sachin Yadav and Yashvir Singh have all crossed the 85m mark.

Toor noted that the rising depth in javelin has altered perceptions of big throws. Rohit Yadav has recorded 87.68m, Kishore Jena 87.54m, Sachin Yadav 86.54m and Yashvir Singh 85.41m. In Toor’s view, performances in the 80m to 82m range are now judged against a considerably higher domestic standard because of Chopra’s success.

For Toor, reaching 22m would carry a similar significance in shot put. His present best of 21.77m leaves the target within reach, but his recent career has also been shaped by a series of injury problems that he said have limited his ability to perform at his full level.

“Injuries have always been there with me. A lot of people say he doesn’t perform outside (India). But when the person is not fit, how will he perform? From the very first day, injuries have been there with me,” he said.

The latest setback came before the recent Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. Toor sustained a Grade 1 calf muscle tear 12 days before the competition, yet still competed and produced a best throw of 20.27m to finish fifth. He said he had to stop throwing and other activities requiring his calf during the lead-up, but managed to clear 20m in windy conditions.

Fit again ahead of Aichi-Nagoya

Toor said he believed a Commonwealth Games medal was within range, recalling that he was waiting for one throw to click. He only learned the extent of the calf problem after returning from Glasgow, when it was diagnosed as a Grade 1 tear. He said he had been advised not to undergo an MRI before the event and felt that avoiding the diagnosis at that time prevented it from affecting his mindset.

The calf issue followed an ankle injury in 2024 and a hand fracture in 2021. Toor said doctors had offered surgery or six months of rest for the ankle problem. He chose rest after the Olympics, though he said the time away meant his 2025 season did not go well.

Now, however, Toor says his fitness is in a good place as he prepares for the next continental competition. Having won gold in 2018 and 2022, he is pursuing a hat-trick while continuing his pursuit of the 22m barrier. “Right now the fitness is great,” he said.