"Earlier Indian athletes used to be satisfied by just qualifying for the Olympics" - Tajinderpal Toor opens up on change in Indian athletes' mindset
Having ruled as the undisputed king of men's shot put in Asia for around a decade, Tajinderpal Singh Toor aims to breach a boundary that no other Asian athlete has even dreamt of achieving till now.
The reigning two-time Asian Games champion wants to hurl the iron ball beyond the 22-meter line at the Paris Olympics, which gets underway a couple of months from now.
"My target is to go beyond 22 metres at the Olympics. My preparations are going really well and I am confident that I will hit my peak during the Olympics," Toor told Sportskeeda.
"Everyone goes to the Olympics with the target of winning a medal. My only focus will be to breach the 22-metre mark. If that wins me an Olympic medal, I will be the happiest person," he added.
If he manages to achieve this feat, the burly giant from Punjab will smash his Asian record of 21.77 which he had achieved early last year.
Ever since he won his first international medal at the senior level - a silver at the 2017 Asian Championships in Bhubaneswar - Toor has dominated the competition at the continental level.
An Olympic medal in his already impressive trophy cabinet will cement his legacy as one of the shot put legends of Asia.
"I have won everything in Asia. I have won gold at the Asian Games and the Asian Championships. The only thing I have not won is an Olympic medal. It is the only thing missing in my career," he said.
But if his recent performances are anything to go by, realizing his Olympic dream is going to be a tall task for Toor.
He has struggled to go past 21m since the latter half of 2023. His winning throw at last year's Asian Games measured 20.36m while an effort of 20.38m fetched him the fourth consecutive title at the recent Federation Cup, a far cry from the automatic Olympic qualification mark of 21.5 metres.
However, the Indian Navy officer is holding his morale high and is confident of finding form at the right time.
"I was battling a back injury during the Federation Cup. That is why I could not go at full throttle. But my form has been picking up in recent competitions and my performances are also improving," Toor said.
"I aim to beat the Olympic qualifying mark at the inter-state meet, which is my next competition. I am placed comfortably in the Road to Paris rankings so qualification should not be a problem. In any case, I intend to secure automatic qualification by going above 21.5 metres at the inter-state meet," he added.
Having worn the India jersey for the better part of a decade, Toor has been witness to quite a few changes in Indian athletics over the years. The most momentous of these changes came in 2023 when javelin star Neeraj Chopra struck a historic gold at the Tokyo Olympics.
"Earlier Indian athletes used to be satisfied by just qualifying for the Olympics. Now that we have won an Olympic gold, that is no longer the case," the 29-year-old said.
"Now Indian athletes go the Olympics to produce their best performances and win medals."
That iconic victory has infused a new-found confidence and winning attitude among Indian athletes. Toor is also riding high on this wave of optimism and confidence in the run-up to the Olympics.