Indian shot putters Tajinderpal Singh Toor and Samardeep Singh Gill did not have to exert much as they qualified for the final round of the Commonwealth Games here on Wednesday.
National record holder Toor took two attempts to breach the automatic qualification mark of 20m in Group A. His first effort measured 19.93m before coming up with 20.14m in his second throw.
It was the second best distance overall. He did not take the third attempt.
In qualification round Group B, Gill’s best of the day was 19.95m which came in his opening attempt. His second throw measured 19.75m and the third a foul.
Gill finished fifth overall out of 15 who competed across the two groups. Group A had seven competitors and Group B had eight.
Those who breach 20m mark or the 12 best performers qualify for the finals to be held on Thursday.
New Zealand’s defending champion and title favourite Tom Walsh took the top spot overall with his first round throw of 21.03m in Group A.
The 31-year-old Toor has a season’s best of 21.03m while the national record in his name stands at 21.77m which he made in 2023.
Toor, a gold medallist in the last two Asian Games, is competing in his second Commonwealth Games, having finished eighth in 2018 in Gold Coast. He missed the 2022 edition due to a groin injury.
The 25-year-old Gill has the season’s best of 20.46m which is also his personal best.
