Asian record-holding shot putter Tajinder Pal Singh Toor, who failed to qualify for the finals in the Olympics with a disappointing performance, on Thursday said he was competing with a wrist injury in his throwing arm which would require a surgery now.
Toor could only manage one legal throw of 19.99m, in his first attempt, to finish 13th in Group A qualification and 24th overall. "I intended to enhance my personal best and not wanted to be just a participant, but I could not give my best at the Olympics," Toor, who had competed with a heavily bandaged shoulder, wrote in an Instagram post which shows a bandaged left wrist.
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"I have been suffering from revival of my wrist injury since just after my Olympic qualification in India. Still I was trying to avoid it but could not overcome." Toor said he will now need surgery. He throws with his left hand.
"It has been three years since doctors have been advising me for its operation. Now I will go for it and will come back stronger," he said. Later, when asked if he has told the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) about this injury, Toor said, "Everybody knows, they (AFI) know, chief coach knows bone is growing."
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The AFI had called for the 'fitness trial' of three Olympic-bound athletes -- long jumper M Sreeshankar, 20km race walkers K T Irfan and Bhawna Jat -- though they were cleared later on. It had also threatened action against athletes who do not perform well in the Olympics.
"It is happening since 2015, sometimes pain goes and sometimes it comes back. There was pain two months before 2018 Asian Games and it went away and I played in Asian Games," Toor said. He said the pain had flared up a few days after the Indian Grand Prix-4 on 21 June in Patiala, where he had qualified for the Olympics and set an Asian record with a throw of 21.49m. Seven days later, he had thrown 21.10m in the National Inter-State Championships at the same venue in Patiala. "Doctors told me go along if it's alright. The last option is operation," he said.
