Chandigarh: India’s fastest 100m sprinter and an Asian record-holder in shot put headline the eight athletes from Punjab named in India’s athletics squad for the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, from Sep 19 to Oct 4.Moga’s Tajinderpal Singh Toor, 31, will compete in his third Asian Games. A two-time Asian Games gold medallist, Toor holds the Asian shot-put record of 21.77m, set at the 2023 Asian Indoor Athletics Championships in Astana, Kazakhstan. He also competed at the Paris Olympics. “This will be my third Asian Games. The preparation is good and I will be aiming for a gold again. This time at CWG 2026, I got a grade 1 tear in my calf, but now I’m prepared,” he said.Jalandhar’s Gurindervir Singh, 25, will compete in the 100m and relay after clocking a national-record 10.09 seconds at Ranchi’s Birsa Munda Stadium in May, making him India’s fastest man. He won Asian U-18 gold in 2017 and Asian U-20 bronze in 2018 and has been a multiple-time national champion.Manju Rani of Mansa will compete in race walk after winning bronze in the team 35-km event at the 2022 Asian Games. She finished 21st in the 42-km marathon race walk at Sukhna Lake, Chandigarh, in February with a national-record time of 3:33:24. “I have my eyes set on the target. Currently I’m at the national camp in Bangalore, my aim is an Olympics medal. Will give my personal best at the Asian Games,” she said.Manpreet Kaur, 36, from Nabha, is a 2016 Rio Olympian, 2016 South Asian Games gold medallist and 2023 Asian Championship bronze medallist. She has competed at three Commonwealth Games — 2010, 2022 and 2026. “Currently I’m training at the NIS Patiala and I am focused on the medal. I have to improve the medal every time, and that will be my goal this time,” she said.Patiala’s Karanveer Singh, 29, won silver at the 2023 Asian Indoor Championships and topped the 2026 National Inter-State Senior Athletics Championships with a 20.49m throw.Mohali’s Niharika Vashisht, 30, qualified in triple jump with a 13.41m winning effort at Indian Athletics Series-3 in New Delhi. She was the only athlete to cross 13m and had also won five medals for Punjab at the 2025 National Games.Rashdeep Kaur, 24, completes the women’s contingent in the 400m and 4x400m relay. She clocked a personal best of 53.10 seconds in New Delhi this season and finished sixth in the mixed 4x400m relay at the 2026 Commonwealth Games.Damneet Singh, 26, from Barnala, will compete in hammer throw. An Asian U-20 Championship silver medallist, World U-18 Championship silver medallist and three-time national champion, he threw 69.72m at the 65th National Inter-State Senior Athletics Championships 2026 to surpass the Asian Games qualifying mark.
