Commonwealth Games 2026: Tajinderpal Singh Toor and Samardeep Singh Gill Reach Men’s Shot Put Final

Indian shot putters Tajinderpal Singh Toor and Samardeep Singh Gill easily advanced to the men’s shot put final at the Commonwealth Games on Wednesday, bolstering India’s chances for a medal in one of its strongest athletic disciplines.

National record holder Toor surpassed the automatic qualification threshold of 20 meters on his second throw, while Gill moved forward as one of the 12 top performers from the two qualification groups.

In Group A, Toor started with a throw of 19.93m before increasing his distance to 20.14m on his second attempt, comfortably exceeding the automatic qualification mark. After securing his spot in the final, the Indian chose to skip his third throw.

His distance of 20.14m ranked as the second-best in the qualification round, trailing behind defending champion Tom Walsh of New Zealand, who led with 21.03m on his opening attempt.

Gill, participating in Group B, achieved his best distance with an opening throw of 19.95m. He followed that with a 19.75m throw before recording a foul on his final attempt.

Although he fell slightly short of the automatic qualification line, Gill finished fifth overall out of 15 competitors combined from both groups, ensuring his place in Thursday’s final.

A total of 12 athletes moved forward to the medal round, with automatic qualification granted to those reaching or exceeding the 20-meter mark or those deemed the next best performers.

Toor enters the final as a leading contender. The 31-year-old boasts a season’s best throw of 21.03m, while his national record of 21.77m, set in 2023, serves as the Indian standard. A two-time Asian Games gold medallist, Toor is participating in his second Commonwealth Games following an eighth-place finish in Gold Coast 2018. He missed the Birmingham 2022 edition due to a groin injury.

Gill, on the other hand, has shown consistent improvement in Indian athletics. The 25-year-old has a personal and season’s best of 20.46m and will be striving for his first Commonwealth Games medal when the final occurs on Thursday.

With both Indians progressing smoothly, the men’s shot put final is set to be one of India’s strongest medal prospects in the athletics competition, although the defending champion Tom Walsh remains the frontrunner after leading the qualification round.