Tajinderpal Toor’s 22m Dream: "I Want To Set An Example’ Just Like Neeraj Chopra"

New Delhi, September 7: For Tajinderpal Singh Toor, the next milestone is more than just another number on the results sheet.

India's national record holder in the men's shot put has set his sights firmly on the 22m barrier, a mark he believes could have a transformative impact on the event in India. Just as Neeraj Chopra's rise pushed Indian javelin throwers to dream beyond the 85m and 90m marks, Toor wants his own breakthrough to change the perception of what is possible in Indian shot put.

The 31-year-old currently owns the national record with a throw of 21.77m, but he wants to go further. His ambition is not simply to add a few centimetres to his personal best; he wants to create a benchmark that can inspire the next generation of Indian shot putters.

His 2026 campaign began on a positive note when he won silver at the Asian Indoor Championships with a best effort of 20.05m. He then produced a significant breakthrough at the Indian Athletics Series 3 in New Delhi, throwing 21.03m, his first 21m-plus effort since 2023.

Toor followed that performance with several encouraging outings on the domestic circuit before heading to Glasgow for the Commonwealth Games. However, his preparations were severely disrupted by an injury just days before the competition.

"Before going to the Commonwealth Games, my preparation was going really well. I was throwing around 21.50m in practice sessions, so I felt I would be able to give my competitors a good fight there."

That confidence was badly tested when Toor suffered a Grade 1 calf tear 12 days before the Commonwealth Games. The injury forced him to scale back his throwing and other activities, leaving him with limited time to recover before stepping into the competition arena.

"But 12 days before the Games, I suffered a Grade 1 calf tear, and because of that, I couldn't perform as well as I had hoped," he explained.

Despite the setback, Toor chose to compete in Glasgow. The conditions made the challenge even tougher, with the cold weather adding another concern during his recovery. He eventually finished fifth with a best throw of 20.27m.

"I had to stop some of my activities, but I was still pushing myself because it was very cold there," Toor said. Even under those circumstances, he believes the performance was respectable, particularly considering how close he felt he was to the medal positions.

"I feel I gave a decent performance at the Commonwealth Games. Yes, I missed out on a medal because I was in the medal range, but I was still fighting there."

The Indian shot putter arrived in Glasgow believing that a big throw was still possible. His training numbers had suggested that he was capable of producing a performance around the 21m mark, but that throw never materialised when it mattered most.

"I felt I could produce a 21m throw, but unfortunately, it didn't happen."

The injury was particularly frustrating because Toor had been building momentum throughout the season. Even after the Commonwealth Games, he was still working his way back towards full fitness. Rain during the shot put final in Glasgow added another layer of uncertainty, with Toor wary of aggravating the calf problem.

"When I participated in the World Athletics Continental Tour Silver meet, I was still working towards getting back to full fitness," he said. "It also rained on the day of the Shot Put final at the Commonwealth Games, and I was concerned that I might aggravate my injury, especially with the Asian Games approaching."

The calf problem was not an isolated setback. Injuries have repeatedly interrupted Toor's career, with an ankle injury in 2024 and a fractured hand in 2021 also affecting his progress.

The latest calf injury came around the Inter-State Athletics Championships, where Toor struggled to reproduce the form he had shown earlier in the year.

"The calf injury I suffered happened about a week before the Inter-State Athletics Championships. Before the Inter-State Championships, I was in good shape."

That contrast between his training performances and competition results has been one of the major frustrations for Toor this season.

"Before the Inter-State Championships, I was in good shape. I had thrown 21m at the Indian Athletics Series, so I can only say that things haven't been going my way at the moment."

Toor insists, however, that the problem is not a lack of confidence or throwing ability. He continues to see encouraging numbers during training, but translating that form into competition has proved difficult.

"I am throwing well in training, but I'm not able to replicate that performance in competition."

That issue has also shaped his response to criticism surrounding some of his performances outside India. Toor believes his inconsistent international results have often been influenced by physical problems rather than an inability to compete at the highest level away from home.

His injury history has been demanding. Following the Paris Olympics, the ankle issue presented him with a difficult choice between surgery and an extended period of rest. He opted for rest, a decision that subsequently affected his 2025 campaign.

Yet, despite the setbacks, Toor remains focused on what lies ahead.

Few Indian athletes have changed the expectations of an entire event quite like Neeraj Chopra.

Chopra's success in the javelin, highlighted by his 90.23m national record, has coincided with a broader rise in Indian javelin. Rohit Yadav, Kishore Jena, Sachin Yadav and Yashvir Singh have all crossed the 85m mark, reflecting how dramatically the standard has evolved.

Toor wants to create a similar effect in shot put.

For years, throws around 20m or 21m have represented elite territory for Indian shot putters. But Toor believes that a sustained push beyond 22m could change that mindset and give younger athletes a much higher target to chase.

His vision is directly inspired by what Chopra has achieved in the javelin.

"Just like Neeraj Chopra set an example by becoming the first Indian to throw beyond 90m, I want to set an example by crossing the 22m mark."

That statement perhaps best captures Toor's ambition. The 22m mark is not merely a personal target; it is a number he wants to turn into a new reference point for Indian shot put.

With the Asian Games approaching, Toor now has another major opportunity to add to his legacy.

The two-time Olympian is already a two-time Asian Games champion, having won gold at Jakarta 2018 and Hangzhou 2023. He also owns the Asian Games record and will return to the continental stage looking to defend his title while attempting to improve the mark.

A third consecutive Asian Games gold would put Toor in unprecedented territory in the event.

But beyond another medal, the bigger picture remains the same: getting healthy, rediscovering his competition rhythm and eventually producing the throw he has repeatedly seen in training.

For a thrower who has spent years battling injuries while remaining at the top of Indian shot put, the pursuit of 22m represents both a personal challenge and a larger mission.

Neeraj Chopra showed Indian athletes that previously unimaginable distances could become achievable.

Now, Tajinderpal Singh Toor wants to create that same belief in the shot put. The target is 22m. The ambition is to change the standard.