Indian Open Throws 2026: Damneet Singh Nears National Record, Tajinderpal Singh Toor Hits 20m in Patiala

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New Delhi, March 7: The 5th Indian Open Throws 2026 in Patiala turned into a festival of powerful performances as several athletes delivered massive throws, personal bests and breakthrough moments across multiple events.

With some of India's top throwers in action along with promising junior athletes, the competition highlighted both elite performances and the growing depth in the country's throwing disciplines.

Damneet Singh Comes Within Centimetres of National Record

The biggest highlight of the day came in the men's hammer throw, where Damneet Singh produced a sensational series. He smashed his personal best with a massive 70.64m throw on his second attempt, missing the national record of 70.73m set by Neeraj Kumar in 2016 by just nine centimetres.

Damneet then proved that the performance was no fluke. On his very next attempt he launched the hammer to 70.21m, marking the first time he crossed the prestigious 70m barrier in senior competition - and he did it in back-to-back throws.

He continued the impressive run later in the competition as well, touching 70.04m on his fifth attempt, making it three 70m throws in a single competition, an achievement that underlined his growing consistency at the national level.

Tajinderpal Singh Toor Returns to the 20m Mark

In the men's shot put, India's national record holder Tajinderpal Singh Toor showed encouraging signs of returning to his best form. The Asian Games champion secured gold with a throw of 20.51m, marking only his second outdoor 20m+ throw in the last two and a half years.

Earlier this season, Toor had finished second at the Asian Indoor Championships with a throw of 20.05m, indicating steady progress in his comeback after injury setbacks.

However, it was a difficult outing for Samardeep Gill, one of the promising shot putters from last season. He struggled to find rhythm and finished 11th with 16.88m, continuing a slow start to his 2026 season.

Sanjana Chaudhary Stuns Field in Women's Javelin

The women's javelin throw produced one of the biggest surprises of the meet. Sanjana Chaudhary stunned the field with a winning throw of 54.20m, defeating rising throwers Deepika (52.88m) and Jyoti (52.16m) to claim the gold medal.

Her performance added another strong name to the growing pool of Indian women javelin throwers making their mark on the domestic circuit.

Junior Athletes Deliver Breakthrough Performances

The junior events also produced several exciting breakthroughs. In the U-18 women's shot put, Karnataka's M. Reddy Sanjana delivered a remarkable performance, winning gold with a huge personal best of 15.30m. Her throw improved her previous best of 12.84m by an incredible 2.46 metres, making it one of the most dramatic improvements of the meet.

Meanwhile, in the U-20 women's hammer throw, Khushi clinched the gold medal with a personal best of 49.45m. The throw marked a significant improvement from her previous best of 46.76m set in 2023, representing a 2.69m jump after three years.

Junior Boys Impress in Shot Put

The junior boys also made a strong impact in the shot put competitions. Odisha's Omkar Prasad won the U-20 men's shot put gold with a throw of 17.85m, while Nishchay dominated the U-18 men's shot put with an impressive 19.78m, underlining the strong pipeline of young throwers emerging across the country.

Tanya Chaudhary Wins Women's Hammer Throw

In the women's hammer throw, Tanya Chaudhary secured gold with a throw of 61.09m. Earlier this year, she had produced a massive 65.60m throw at the All India Inter-University Championships, a distance better than the current Indian national record of 65.25m held by Sarita Singh.

However, that mark cannot be recognised as an official national record because the competition was not certified by World Athletics.

Strong Signs for India's Throwing Future

Overall, the Indian Open Throws 2026 showcased both elite performances and exciting young talent across multiple disciplines.

With Damneet Singh coming agonisingly close to the national record, Tajinderpal Singh Toor returning to the 20m mark, and several junior athletes producing impressive personal bests, the meet highlighted the growing strength and future potential of India's throwing events.

Day 2 of the competition will continue in Patiala, where athletes will look to build on the momentum and deliver more standout performances.