Asian Games shot put gold medallist Tejinderpal Singh Toor returned home on Monday from Indonesia to a personal tragedy as his father Karam Singh passed away. Karam Singh was battling cancer for a long time and was undergoing chemotherapy at the Army Hospital Research and Referral (R&R) in New Delhi.
Toor, who had dedicated his Asiad gold to his father, unfortunately couldn’t show it to him in person. The shot-putter came to know of his father’s demise after he landed at New Delhi airport from Jakarta.
After the medal ceremony in Jakarta last week, Tejinder had said that the medal was his father and his family.
This gold medal is for my father and my family. This medal is my biggest achievement because a lot of sacrifices have been made. For the last two years, my father has been battling with cancer. My family though never let me get distracted. They allowed me to chase my dream. A lot of sacrifices have been made by my family and friends and all those have paid.Tejinderpal Singh Toor
Prior to the Asian Games, Toor used to train at Patiala and every weekend used to back in Delhi to take care of his ailing father. His coach MS Dhillon wasn’t happy with the arrangement and requested the Athletics Federation of India to shift his base from Patiala to Dharamsala to avoid further distraction.
Had it not been for some prudent decision making by Tejinderpal's personal coach MS Dhillon, the star shot putter would have quit rather than shattering Asian Games record. Dhillon, who has been training Tejinder for the last five years, had revealed that his ward could not give his best at the Commonwealth Games due to his father’s cancer.
I told him you are not required there at the hospital, the doctors are doing their job. Sundays are for recovery. I thought he will go back home on off-days and chances are he again can get upset. Then I requested the Federation that they organise a camp in Dharamsala.MS Dhillon, Tejinder’s Coach
Tejinderpal Singh Toor had bagged India’s first gold in athletics when he finished first in the men’s shot-put final at Jakarta on Saturday. Tejinder had set a new Games record in the men’s shot put with a throw of 20.75 during his fifth attempt.
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)