Bathinda: Shot putter Tejinderpal Singh Toor won the silver medal at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games in Japan, joining an elite club of Punjab athletes who have won three or more medals across three or fewer consecutive Asian games.Toor, a 31-year-old Punjab Police DSP hailing from Khosa Pando village in Moga district, previously captured gold medals in the 2018 (Jakarta) and 2022 (Hangzhou) Asian Games. His personal best throw of 21.77 metres was set at the 2023 National Games.In the final, Toor recorded a best effort of 20.64 metres to finish behind Iran’s Mohammadreza Tayebise, who clinched gold with a 20.81-metre throw. Expressing disappointment over missing a third straight gold, Toor admitted he had aimed to throw closer to the 21-metre mark.Toor’s sporting career has been marked by personal sacrifice. During the 2018 Jakarta Games, his father, Karam Singh, was critically ill with a cancerous chest tumour. Hours before Toor returned to his village on Sept 4, 2018, to present his first gold medal, his father passed away.With this silver, Toor joins an elite group of legendary multi-medal athletes from Punjab. He shares the distinction with shot put and discus icon Parduman Singh, who won five medals—including three gold, one silver, and one bronze—across the 1954, 1958, and 1962 Games. Legendary sprinter Milkha Singh achieved four gold medals across two consecutive Asian Games in 1958 and 1962, dominating the 200m, 400m, and 4x400m relay events. Fellow shot putter Joginder Singh earned three medals, including two gold and one bronze, between 1962 and 1970, while ace wrestler Kartar Singh secured three medals—two gold and one silver in the 90kg and 100kg categories—across the 1978, 1982, and 1986 Games. Sprinter Manjit Kaur also stands in this distinguished lineup with four medals, comprising three 4x400m relay golds and an individual 400m silver, across the 2002, 2006, and 2010 Asian Games.