Asian Games 2022: Tajinderpal Singh Toor pulled off a last gasp winner in the men’s shot put event to clinch India’s second gold medal in athletics at the 2022 Asian Games on Sunday.
Tajinderpal Singh Toor’s sixth and final try in the men’s shot put final changed the outcome in his favour. Tajinderpal won the competition with a throw of 20.36 metres, outdistancing Saudi Arabia’s Mohamed Daouda, who had been leading the race for the gold medal with a throw of 20.18 metres on his fourth try.
Sahib Singh was also in the running for the medal but was unable to join his fellow member of the national squad on the podium. He placed eighth overall with a throw of 18.62 metres.
Tajinderpal’s victory confirmed his reign of supremacy in the competition for the previous two years. He already has the record for the greatest throw in Asian Games history thanks to a throw of 20.75 metres during the 2018 Asiad.
He currently holds the Asian record with a throw of 21.77 metres thanks to his achievements in Hangzhou on a big Sunday for Indian track and field.
Avinash Sable, a track and field athlete, earlier made history by winning the men’s steeplechase 3000m and establishing a new Asian Games mark for timing.
Sable, the first medalist for India in the 3000m steeplechase at the Commonwealth Games, also won the Asian Games medal in the same event.
By beating the tape in 8.19.50s, he also beat the previous record of 8:22.79, which had been held by Iran’s Keyhani Hossein for the preceding five years. Sable’s efforts helped India win its first athletics gold medal at the 19th Asian Games.
Early on in the race, Sable gained the lead, and with each subsequent lap, he expanded his lead.
He easily crossed the finish line ahead of the Japanese team of Aoki Ryoma and Sanada Seiya, who placed second and third, respectively.
