Asian Games 2026: Toor wins silver; Kujur, Gulveer, Yoonus advance
Tajinderpal Singh Toor clinches silver in shot put at Asian Games 2026. Animesh Kujur, Gulveer Singh, and Yoonus Shah also advance to athletics finals.
India's athletics campaign saw significant movement at the Asian Games 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, as Tajinderpal Singh Toor secured a podium finish in the shot put and several Indian athletes booked their spots in major finals.
Toor clinches silver in shot put battle
Shot put specialist Tajinderpal Singh Toor continued his streak of excellence on the continental stage by winning the silver medal. In a high-stakes men's shot put final, Toor delivered his best performance during his fifth attempt, recording a throw of 20.64 metres.
The gold medal went to Iran's Mohammadreza Tayebise, who set a new Games Record with a massive throw of 20.81 metres. This silver medal marks another significant achievement for Toor, who previously dominated the event with gold medals at the 2018 Jakarta and 2022 Hangzhou editions of the Asian Games.
Sprinter Animesh Kujur enters 200m final
In the track events, Animesh Kujur showed remarkable resilience to qualify for the men's 200m final. After the disappointment of missing out on the 100m final, Kujur bounced back in the third semifinal, clocking a time of 20.81 seconds to finish second.
Kujur finished behind Thailand's Puripol Boonson, who set a blistering Games Record of 20.10 seconds in the same heat. Kujur's performance ensures he will be part of the upcoming medal race in the 200m sprint.
Double hope in 1500m distance race
India's middle-distance prospects look bright as two athletes have successfully navigated the heats to reach the men's 1500m final:
- Gulveer Singh: Secured his spot by finishing third in Heat 2 with a time of 3:45.79.
- Yoonus Shah: Also claimed third place in Heat 1, clocking in at 3:45.77.
Both Gulveer and Yoonus are now preparing for the highly anticipated 1500m final, which is scheduled to take place the day after tomorrow.
Kabaddi gold: India's massive comeback against Iran
In a thrilling display of strength and strategy, the Indian men's kabaddi team clinched the gold medal following a spectacular second-half turnaround. Facing a formidable Iranian side, India found themselves trailing 17-18 at the halftime interval.
However, the Indian squad emerged with renewed intensity after the break, dominating the play to secure a 40-34 victory and claim the top spot on the podium.