National Inter-State Athletics championships: Toor to sit out of ‘mandatory’ meet due to ankle pain
New Delhi, June 25
India’s top shot putter Tajinderpal Singh Toor is coping with an ankle pain and will miss the National Inter-State Athletics Championships, the final qualifying event for the upcoming Paris Olympics, beginning in Panchkula on Thursday.
Toor, an Asian record holder till a few days back, is set to qualify for the Paris Games through the world ranking quota. He is the reigning Asian champion as well as the Asian Games gold medallist.
“I am currently having slight ankle pain and my doctor told me not to throw for three-four weeks,” Toor said without specifying when the pain began.
The 29-year-old Indian’s earlier Asian record of 21.77 metres was bettered on June 21 by Saudi Arabia’s Mohamed Daouda Tolo during the Estadio Vallehermoso event in Madrid with an effort of 21.80m.
It remains to be seen how the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) deals with Toor’s latest problem as the officials are tight-lipped as of now.
Last month, AFI president Adille Sumariwalla had made it clear that except for Olympics champion javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra, it will be mandatory for all the other athletes to participate in the event June 27-30 event to get selected for the Paris Olympics.
