Toor settles for silver as Iran’s Tayebi breaks Games record

A cloud of rain hung over Nagoya as Tajinderpal Singh Toor stood ready for a moment he had chased for years, the shot put circle quiet except for his own breath and the judge’s whistle¹³. He launched a best of 20.64m in the fifth round, finishing second to Iran’s Mohammadreza Tayebi, who shattered the Games record with 20.81m¹³.

Saudi bronze Mohammed Tolu closed the podium with 20.48m as Toor’s bid for a hat-trick of gold medals ended in silver, a familiar but hard-won medal for India¹³. Toor’s silver extended his Asian Games medal run to three, following Jakarta 2018 and Hangzhou 2022 titles, and kept India’s track and field hopes alive in Nagoya²⁹.

The final also highlighted how conditions and competition pace can tilt outcomes, with Toor acknowledging the day’s tougher weather and his own lower energy levels compared with his peak forms¹⁷.

India’s broader campaign saw other athletes, including 200m qualifiers and kabaddi teams, pushing India’s medal tally higher as the nation eyes a strong finish in the Games³¹.