One Throw in Moga, and His Coach Knew Toor Was Destined for the Big Stage

Long before Tajinder Singh Toor became an Olympian and one of India’s leading shot putters, his uncle Gurdev Singh had already seen signs that the youngster could go far in international athletics.

Toor was still a teenager when Gurdev, his paternal uncle and first coach, told him that he possessed the ability to reach the Olympics. The suggestion seemed so improbable to the young athlete that he simply laughed it off.

Years later, that assessment has proved remarkably prescient. Toor is now a two-time Olympian and three-time Asian Games medallist, adding a silver medal in Japan to an international career that began on modest training grounds in Punjab.

Gurdev, himself an international-level shot put medallist, recalls that Toor did not initially realise the extent of his natural ability. What stood out, however, was not merely his physique but his determination to translate ambition into work.

According to Gurdev, sport was already part of the family environment. Toor’s father was an accomplished tug-of-war player, while the youngster’s height and strong build caught his uncle’s attention early. Gurdev began taking him to the ground for training when Toor was around 11.

Shot put, however, was not Toor’s first choice. He was initially drawn to discus and trained in the event before his uncle persuaded him to change disciplines. Gurdev felt that Toor’s physical attributes and throwing ability were much better suited to the shot put.

The conviction that his nephew could eventually compete at the highest level came during a training session in Moga when Toor was about 17.

During practice at a local school, the teenager produced a throw that combined exceptional speed with an almost ideal release angle. For Gurdev, it was the moment when promise turned into certainty. He became convinced that Toor had the ingredients required for elite competition.

Gurdev later moved to Canada, but before leaving India he ensured that his nephew’s development would continue under experienced guidance. He introduced Toor to coach Mohinder Singh Dhillon, an association that has endured through the athlete’s rise on the international circuit.

The confidence that Gurdev first noticed as a teenager was evident ahead of Toor’s latest Asian Games appearance as well. Before the competition, the athlete told his uncle that he was in strong form and believed a medal was within reach.

The prediction proved correct as Toor returned with silver, adding another Asian Games medal to a career that has already taken him to two Olympics.

For Gurdev, however, the result is also a reminder of those early years when an athletic youngster from a sporting family was still discovering which event suited him best — and when a single throw in Moga offered the first compelling glimpse of what lay ahead.