“All the Indian athletes performed well below their best” - Tajinderpal Toor opens up on Paris Olympics 2024 journey & ‘heartbreaking’ ankle injury
Tajinder Pal Singh Toor had gone to the 2024 Paris Olympics with a lot of expectations on his shoulders after having dominated the competition in Asia since his international debut. But the 29-year-old from Punjab faced severe disappointment in Paris, falling far short of his own high standards.
Toor produced a best effort of 18.05 metres - a far cry from his personal best of 21.77, the current Asian record - and failed to qualify for the final round of the men's shotput competition, eventually finishing at the 15th spot.
"I had suffered an ankle injury ahead of the Olympics, which forced me to miss quite a few training sessions. As a result, I could not really hit my peak at the Olympics," Toor told Sportskeeda.
It was a deja vu of sorts for the Punjab athlete as his campaign at the previous Olympics in Tokyo was also hit by injury. At that time, it was a wrist injury which had hindered his performance.
"Injuries are a part and parcel of an athlete's life. It can happen to anyone. It is really heartbreaking when injuries happen before an event like the Olympics," he said.
Tajinder was not the only Indian athlete to face disappointment at the Paris Olympics. Neeraj Chopra was quite literally the only silver lining in an otherwise underwhelming campaign, finishing second in the men's javelin event while most of his compatriots struggled to hit top form.
For Tajinder in particular, the debacle in Paris was baffling as he has performed well in almost all the international events during his illustrious career. Only the two Olympic campaigns at Tokyo and Paris stick out like sore thumbs in an otherwise impressive international career.
Is it the extra pressure that becomes a difficult psychological hurdle? Tajinder does not seem to agree.
"It is nothing of the sort. There is pressure whenever you play for your country and it is the same at the Olympics. We can only keep on working hard and hope everything goes well on the day of the competition," he said.
"All the Indian athletes performed well below their best, except for Neeraj. Things can go wrong before or during competition. It can happen to anyone."
Tajinder talks on taking a break before resuming training
Despite the disappointment in Paris, Tajinder refuses to get bogged down. Like a true 'fauji', the Indian Navy officer is determined to keep his chin up and make a triumphant return to international competition.
"I will take a short break before returning to training. There are quite a few big events lined up next year. I intend to put the Paris debacle behind me and keep performing well for the country," Tajinder asserted.
"I have four years to prepare for the next Olympics. If I train well and keep myself free from injuries, I will have another shot at the Olympics."