Aichi-Nagoya: India’s Tajinderpal Singh Toor missed out on a historic hat-trick of Asian Games gold medals but extended his podium run at the continental event by winning silver in the men’s shot put on Saturday.
Toor produced a best throw of 20.64 metres in the final to finish second. Iran’s Mohammadreza Tayebise won gold with a Games-record effort of 20.81 metres, while Saudi Arabia’s Mohammed Tolu secured bronze with 20.48 metres.
Tayebise’s winning throw also erased Toor’s Asian Games record of 20.75 metres, which the Indian had set while winning gold at the 2018 Jakarta Games.
The silver ended Toor’s run of two consecutive Asian Games titles but ensured that he has now won a medal at three successive editions of the continental event.
Toor misses third successive gold
Toor had entered the Aichi-Nagoya Games with an opportunity to create history by becoming the first Indian track and field athlete to win three successive individual Asian Games gold medals.
His pursuit of that record, however, came under pressure early in the final when Tayebise produced a 20.81-metre throw.
Toor initially struggled to match the Iranian’s mark. His 20.26-metre effort at one stage left him in third position, behind Tayebise and Tolu.
The Indian needed a strong response to move back into medal contention.
He delivered in his fifth attempt, sending the shot 20.64 metres. The effort was his best throw of the competition and a season-best mark, taking him past Tolu and into the silver-medal position.
Toor was unable to produce a further improvement in his final attempt and finished 17 centimetres behind Tayebise.
Asian Games record slips away
The gold medal also saw Toor lose an Asian Games record that he had held since 2018.
At the Jakarta Games, Toor produced a 20.75-metre throw to win his first Asian Games title and set the then-Games record.
He successfully defended the title at the Hangzhou Asian Games in 2023, recording 20.36 metres to secure his second successive gold medal.
Tayebise’s 20.81-metre effort in Aichi-Nagoya was therefore enough to surpass the mark by 6 centimetres.
Although Toor could not retain the record or win a third straight gold, his 20.64-metre throw ensured another podium finish at the Asian Games.
His record at the continental event now stands at two gold medals and one silver.
Three editions, three medals
Toor’s silver in Aichi-Nagoya extends an impressive Asian Games medal streak that began in 2018.
He won gold in Jakarta with 20.75 metres before successfully defending his title in Hangzhou five years later.
The 2026 silver means he has now stood on the podium at three consecutive editions of the Games.
The result also underlines his consistency at the continental level despite facing a new challenge from Tayebise, whose winning throw became the new Games record.
For Toor, the competition was therefore a combination of a missed opportunity and another significant medal achievement.
From a Punjab village to Asian Games podiums
Toor’s rise in athletics began in Khosa Pando village in Punjab’s Moga district.
Raised in a farming family, he initially played cricket before taking up shot put after encouragement from his father.
The change eventually led him to the highest levels of Indian athletics.
Toor won Asian Championships gold in 2019 and again in 2023. He also secured gold at the Asian Indoor Championships in 2024.
At the 2026 Asian Indoor Athletics Championships, he won silver, adding another continental medal to his record.
His biggest career throw came in 2023 when he produced 21.77 metres. The effort established a new Indian national record and was also the Asian record at the time.
Two Olympic appearances
Toor has also represented India at two Olympic Games.
He competed at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and returned for the Paris 2024 Games, gaining experience on the sport’s biggest international stage.
He has been part of the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) since November 2018. The programme provides support to selected athletes for international competitions, training camps and other requirements linked to high-level sporting preparation.
The support has been part of Toor’s journey as he has remained one of India’s leading shot putters.
A new challenge in Aichi-Nagoya
The Aichi-Nagoya final represented a different outcome for Toor compared with his previous two Asian Games appearances.
His 20.64-metre throw would normally have been enough to keep him firmly in medal contention, but Tayebise produced a Games-record performance to take the title.
Tolu’s 20.48 metres was enough for bronze, leaving the Indian in second place.
The result means Toor will return from the Games with a silver medal rather than the gold he had won in his previous two appearances.
For Indian athletics, however, his three-edition medal streak continues.
Toor’s Asian Games legacy continues
Toor could not complete the historic hat-trick he had targeted in Aichi-Nagoya, but he still strengthened his record at the continental championships.
From his first gold in Jakarta in 2018 to his successful title defence in Hangzhou in 2023 and the silver in Aichi-Nagoya, Toor has medalled at every Asian Games he has contested.
His 20.64-metre throw also came close to his previous Games record, while Tayebise’s 20.81 metres established a new benchmark.
The silver therefore marks the end of Toor’s two-Games reign as Asian champion but not the end of his podium run. At three successive Asian Games, the Indian shot putter has now collected three medals, including two golds and one silver.