Sangrur, May 9: Tajinderpal Singh Toor continued his steady build-up towards the major international competitions later this season by clinching the men's shot put title at the fifth leg of the Indian Athletics Series in Sangrur, Punjab, on Saturday (May 9).
The seasoned Asian Games champion dominated the event with a best throw of 19.97m, comfortably finishing ahead of Haryana's Sanyam (19.09m) and Punjab's Karanveer Singh (18.79m).
The 31-year-old national record holder is gradually regaining rhythm ahead of the upcoming domestic competitions in Ranchi and other key international meets later this year.
Speaking after the event, Toor underlined that his focus remains on peaking during the biggest competitions of the season. "Main goal this season is to
peak in major international meets," Toor said.
Earlier this season, Toor had already crossed the prestigious 21-metre mark after registering a season-best effort of 21.03m during the Delhi leg of the Indian Athletics Series in April.
Annu Rani Finishes Third in Women's Javelin Throw
The Sangrur meet also provided experienced Indian javelin thrower Annu Rani another important opportunity to assess her preparation ahead of a demanding athletics season.
The two-time Olympian and Asian Games champion finished third in the women's javelin throw competition with a best attempt of 55.78m. The event itself turned out to be one of the most competitive contests of the day.
Haryana's Shilpa Rani emerged victorious with a throw of 57.65m, while Andhra Pradesh's Rashmi K secured second place after registering 56.15m.
Despite finishing outside the top two, Annu's participation remains significant as India's experienced throwers continue preparing for the major events lined up later this season.
Fatema Begam and Harjit Singh Shine on Track
On the track, Harjit Singh of Air Force emerged as the fastest male sprinter of the one-day meet after winning the men's 100m race in 10.32 seconds. Tamil Nadu's Sam Vasanth S and Adesh Garsa of All India Police completed the podium positions.
In the women's sprint events, Tripura's Fatema Begam enjoyed a memorable outing by completing a sprint double.
Fatema first won the women's 100m race in 11.98 seconds before returning to clinch the 200m title in 23.97 seconds.
Meanwhile, Haryana's Kiran Pahal comfortably secured the women's 400m crown after clocking 54.07 seconds.
Strong Participation Across Events
The Sangrur leg once again showcased the depth emerging across Indian athletics, especially in middle-distance running and field events.
Rohit Yadav of Railway Sports delivered a solid performance to win the men's javelin throw with an effort of 78.82m, narrowly ahead of Rajasthan's Vipul Yadav and Punjab's Arshdeep Singh.
In men's long jump, Amitra Ghosh of Railway Sports produced the day's best jump of 7.85m, while Haryana athletes continued dominating several field disciplines, including high jump and pole vault.
The women's field events also saw impressive performances from athletes across states, highlighting the growing competitiveness in domestic athletics circuits.
Focus Shifts Towards Bigger Competitions
With the domestic athletics calendar entering an important phase, performances at the Indian Athletics Series are increasingly becoming crucial indicators ahead of major national and international competitions.
For experienced stars like Tajinderpal Singh Toor and Annu Rani, the Sangrur meet served less as a medal hunt and more as an opportunity to fine-tune rhythm, consistency and competitive sharpness.
And as the athletics season intensifies over the coming months, Indian athletics will hope its senior stars can convert these steady domestic performances into strong results on the international stage.
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