The 31‑year‑old Toor, who missed the chance to carry the Indian flag at the opening ceremony, entered the competition as the clear favourite in the men’s shot put, having secured the title in both the 2022 and 2026 editions and looking to complete a historic hat‑trick.
India’s marquee javelin ace Neeraj Chopra was forced out of the season by injury, leaving the field open for emerging talents Rohit Yadav and Yashvir, both of whom have thrown beyond 85 metres this year. However, Sri Lankan Rumesh Pathirage, with three throws past 90 metres and topping the world list, is the odds‑on favourite for the gold.
Long jumper Murali Sreeshankar, a silver medallist in the previous Games, has consistently cleared eight metres this season and will be targeting a step up on the podium, while 10,000‑metre bronze medallist Gulveer Singh has also been entered in the 1,500 m and 5,000 m races, though his participation in all three events remains unconfirmed.
Defending steeplechase champion Avinash Sable returned from a long injury lay‑off with an impressive performance at the Indian Athletics Final Series earlier in the month, signalling his readiness to contend for another medal.
Decathlete Tejaswin Shankar, who settled for silver in the last edition, will face Japanese favourite Yuma Maruyama, the current Asian leader with 8,321 points, as he seeks to improve his standing.
Other Indian athletes with a chance to surprise include quarter‑miler Vishal T.K., 3,000‑metre steeplechaser Parul Chaudhary, triple‑jumper Praveen Chithravel and 100‑metre hurdler Jyothi Yarraji, the latter of whom has been battling minor niggles.
Asian long‑jump leader Ancy Sojan will also be looking to convert her regional dominance into gold, while the 75‑strong Indian contingent has set a target of at least 25 podium finishes, down from the 29 medals won in the previous Games.
The opening day schedule sees triple‑jumpers Asha Ilango and Niharika Vashisht launch the Indian campaign, followed by Seema in the women’s 10,000 m and the 4 × 400 m mixed relay, which is expected to deliver India’s first athletics medal of the Games.