Around an hour before India's Tajinderpal Singh Toor flung the iron ball across 20.75m for an Asian Games record-breaking gold medal at the GBK Stadium here on Saturday, his coach Mohinder Singh Dhillon was a nervous wreck.

"Tajinder is throwing really well and has even crossed 20m in training here. I have a feeling that he can win a gold medal today. I'm nervous but also excited. He can make history tonight," Dhillon told mid-day last afternoon while rushing into the competition area for the final. And right enough, his ward created history by becoming the first Indian in 16 years to win a shot put gold at the Asian Games (India's Bahadur Singh Sagoo's 19.03m throw won India's last gold in this event at the 2002 Busan Games).