National Inter-State Athletics 2024: Tajinderpal Singh Toor Forced Out Due to Ankle Pain; Paris Olympics Participation in Doubt

India's top shot putter, Tajinderpal Singh Toor, find himself in a spot of bother as a reported ankle injury has cast a shadow of doubt over his Paris Olympics participation.

The ankle pain will prevent him from participating in the National Inter-State Athletics Championships 2024, the final qualifying event for the Paris Olympics. the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) mandates that all athletes must compete in this event unless granted an exemption.

Despite not having breached the Olympic qualification mark of 21.50m yet, Toor is ranked 19th in the World Athletics Rankings, which is likely to earn him an invitation from World Athletics to compete through a quota spot. However, myKhel understands that AFI remains the body to take a final call on the matter.

Toor, who held the Asian record until recently, remains optimistic about his Olympic prospects. He told PTI, "I am currently having slight ankle pain and my doctor told me not to throw for three-four weeks," without specifying when the pain began.

The 29-year-old's previous Asian record of 21.77m was surpassed on June 21 by Saudi Arabia's Mohamed Daouda Tolo, who threw 21.80m at the Estadio Vallehermoso event in Madrid. As the reigning Asian champion and Asian Games gold medalist, Toor's participation in the Olympics is highly anticipated, but his injury poses a significant challenge.

The AFI's stance on mandatory participation in the National Inter-State Championships complicates Toor's situation. Last month, AFI president Adille Sumariwalla emphasized that, except for Olympic champion javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra, all athletes must participate in this event to be considered for Olympic selection.

"Except for Neeraj, all the other athletes will have to participate in the National Inter-State Championships," Sumariwalla stated during the Federation Cup in Bhubaneswar on May 14.

AFI rules stipulate that athletes must compete in the National Inter-State Championships to be eligible for major multi-sport events like the Olympics, Asian Games, or Commonwealth Games, unless an exemption is granted by the federation. It remains to be seen how the AFI will address Toor's situation, as officials have not yet commented on the matter.

Toor has faced multiple injury setbacks over the past few years. He underwent surgery on his left wrist after the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 and suffered a groin injury while winning gold at the Asian Championships in July 2023 in Bangkok, leading to his withdrawal from the World Championships in Budapest the following month.

Although Toor has not met the automatic Olympic qualifying mark during the current window (July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2024), his 21.77m throw on June 19, 2023, remains his best effort. He has only crossed the 20m mark three times since then.

Other notable athletes missing from the list of competitors in their primary events at the National Inter-State Championships include Avinash Sable, Akshdeep Singh, and Priyanka Goswami, all of whom have breached the Olympic qualifying marks in their respective disciplines.