Asiad gold-winning shot-putter Toor's father to be cremated Thursday

Chandigarh: Asian Games gold-medallist Tejinderpal Singh Toor’s father, who died of cancer before he could meet the triumphant shot-putter, will be cremated on Thursday. Karam Singh, 54, breathed his last on Monday at a military hospital in Panchkula.

He was suffering from cancer for the past few years and Toor had spoken about his struggle to manage his career in view of his father’s ailment after winning the Asiad gold in Jakarta. It was a tragic turn of events for Toor, who returned to India the same day his father passed away. 

After winning the gold medal at Asian games, the native of Khosa Pando village in Punjab’s Moga district, had dedicated the medal to the ailing Karam Singh.

Punjab sports minister Rana Gurmit Singh Sodhi offered his condolences to the athlete, who broke the Games record for his gold.

In his message to Toor, Sodhi said the “undying efforts of his father and the family contributed hugely to the golden achievement by Tejinderpal Singh”.

The 23-year-old Toor had clinched the men’s shot put gold by throwing the iron ball to 20.75m in the Asian games.