National Open Athletics Championships: Samardeep upsets Tajinder to win shot put gold

Samardeep Gill upset an off-colour Tajinderpal Singh Toor to cap a consistent season with the men’s shot put gold medal in the National Open athletics championships at the Birsa Munda Stadium, Morabadi, here on Monday.

The 24-year-old athlete from Madhya Pradesh overcame a nervous start, following a foul, to throw the iron ball beyond the 18m mark twice before crossing 19m in his last three attempts. His best effort, 19.79m, came in his last attempt.

“I was not able to deliver my best. I had a different target,” said Gill, who returned his seventh 19m-plus performance, including his personal best of 19.82m at the National inter-state championships in Chennai in August, this season.

Two-time Asian Games gold medallist Toor, who has experienced a roller-coaster year, struggled to find the power for a 20m-plus throw. He got a silver with his final effort of 19.32.

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Seventeen-year-old Nitin Gupta, an Asian under-18 5000m race walk silver medallist and the 10000m race walk National junior champion, impressed on his debut in an elite competition. He clocked 1:24:22.98 in the humid morning to secure the men’s 20km race walk title. 

Nitin Gupta clocked 1:24:22.98 to secure the men’s 20km race walk title. 
| Photo Credit:
AFI Media

The youngster, who got employed with the Army in August after his two-year stint at the Army Boys Sports Company, has set his sight on the Commonwealth Games and the World junior championships next year.

Following Worlds sixth-place finisher Sarvesh Kushare’s withdrawal due to a groin issue, Railways’ Rohit claimed the high jump crown with 2.18m.

In the men’s javelin, Shivam Lohakare (76.39m) and Anand Singh (75.46m) earned direct qualification by crossing 75m.

Published on Sep 29, 2025