Commonwealth Games 2026: Tajinderpal Singh Toor Finishes Fifth as Nigeria's Chukwuebuka Enekwechi Wins Shot Put Gold

India's challenge in the men's shot put final at the Commonwealth Games 2026 ended without a medal as former champion Tajinderpal Singh Toor finished fifth, while Commonwealth Games debutant Samardeep Singh Gill secured seventh place in a high-quality competition dominated by Nigeria's Chukwuebuka Enekwechi.

Enekwechi produced a stunning fifth-round throw of 21.07m to claim the gold medal, overtaking New Zealand's Tom Walsh, whose opening throw of 21.03m earned him the silver. England's Scott Lincoln completed the podium with a best effort of 20.99m.

For India, it was a night of mixed emotions. Both Toor and Samardeep progressed into the final eight after the opening three rounds, earning three additional attempts. However, neither athlete could find the big throw required to challenge for the medals.

The competition began with Samardeep Singh Gill becoming the first Indian in action. Making his Commonwealth Games debut, he opened with a solid throw of 19.56m, immediately putting himself in contention for a place among the top eight. Moments later, Tajinderpal Singh Toor entered the circle and produced an impressive opening effort of 20.06m, temporarily moving into third place.

However, the benchmark had already been set by one of the sport's biggest names. New Zealand's Tom Walsh, a former world champion and two-time Olympic bronze medallist, launched the shot to 21.03m with his very first attempt, establishing an early lead that looked difficult to surpass. Nigeria's Chukwuebuka Enekwechi also made a strong start with 19.60m, positioning himself among the early contenders.

As the competition progressed, both Indian athletes remained consistent enough to survive the initial elimination phase. After two rounds, Toor occupied fourth position with 20.06m, while Samardeep sat fifth following an improved effort of 19.63m. The crucial third round proved decisive for both Indians.

Tajinder produced his best throw of the evening, registering 20.27m to strengthen his hold on fifth place. Samardeep also found improvement, recording 20.03m, becoming the second Indian to breach the 20-metre mark. Those performances ensured both athletes advanced into the final three rounds reserved for the top eight competitors.

Meanwhile, four athletes Penisimani Taeiloa of Tonga, Bernard Baptiste of Mauritius, Jonathan-Deiwea Detageouwa of Nauru and Djimon Gumbs of the British Virgin Islands were eliminated after three attempts.

At that stage, Walsh continued to lead with 21.03m, Scott Lincoln was second with 20.99m, while Enekwechi occupied third with 20.82m.

With six throws available, Tajinder attempted to improve his position in the second half of the competition. His fourth attempt measured 19.93m, failing to surpass his season's best effort from the third round. Knowing he needed at least 20.32m to move into fourth place, Toor attacked aggressively in the fifth round. Although the throw appeared promising, it measured 20.26m, just one centimetre short of improving his overall position.

His final attempt of 19.79m was his shortest legal throw of the evening, confirming a fifth-place finish with a best effort of 20.27m.

While it was a respectable performance, it fell short of the standards that have previously made Toor one of India's leading shot putters on the international stage.

For Samardeep Singh Gill, competing at his maiden Commonwealth Games represented an important milestone. After reaching the final eight, the young Indian struggled to build further momentum. His fourth attempt resulted in a foul after he intentionally stepped out of the circle, sensing the throw would not improve his standing.

The fifth round also ended unsuccessfully with another foul.

On his final attempt, Samardeep once again chose to foul deliberately after an unsatisfactory release, concluding the competition in seventh place with a best throw of 20.03m.

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Although he would have hoped for a stronger finish, reaching the top eight on his Commonwealth Games debut provides valuable experience against some of the world's leading throwers.

The battle for gold remained undecided until the fifth round. After trailing Tom Walsh for much of the competition, Nigeria's Chukwuebuka Enekwechi produced the defining throw of the evening. His massive 21.07m effort propelled him into first place, surpassing Walsh's opening mark by four centimetres.

Walsh attempted to respond immediately but fouled his fifth attempt before managing 20.51m in the final round, leaving him with the silver medal. England's Scott Lincoln remained consistent throughout, but his best effort of 20.99m was only enough for bronze.

Enekwechi closed the competition with a modest 19.47m on his final attempt, knowing his fifth-round throw had already secured the Commonwealth title.

Animesh Kujur Misses 200m Final

Earlier in the athletics session, Indian sprinter Animesh Kujur narrowly missed out on a place in the men's 200m final.

Running in Lane 1 during the second semifinal, Kujur clocked 20.65 seconds to finish sixth. The timing was not enough to qualify either automatically or as one of the two fastest losers, bringing his Commonwealth Games campaign to an end. Although India finished without a medal in the men's shot put, the presence of two athletes in the final highlighted the country's growing depth in the event.

For Tajinderpal Singh Toor, the fifth-place finish will be disappointing after entering the competition with medal ambitions. Meanwhile, Samardeep Singh Gill's top-eight finish marks an encouraging start to his Commonwealth Games journey.

With several athletics events still to come in Glasgow, India will now look to bounce back and add more medals as the Commonwealth Games 2026 continue.