Mirzapur’s Ashish Yadav secures javelin silver at World Athletics U20 Championships
Ashish Yadav, hailing from Mawaiya, Mirzapur, Uttar Pradesh, has secured a silver medal in the men’s javelin throw at the World Athletics U20 Championships in Eugene, USA. This achievement marks India’s first medal at the event, with Yadav’s throw measuring 74.09m.
Yadav’s journey to the international stage began with training near dry ponds, using a wooden javelin. His coach, Arvind Kumar, noted his significant improvement over the past two years, stating that Yadav had initially thrown around 60 metres in trials. The 19-year-old athlete, who weighed 70kg, trained at a facility in Hisar jointly operated by the Inspire Institute of Sport (IIS) and the Sports Authority of India (SAI).
Yadav’s performance and challenges
The silver medal throw of 74.09m was recorded in his third attempt. This performance placed him behind South Africa’s Jan-Hendrik Heymans, who won gold with a throw of 80.50m. Dominica’s Addison James secured the bronze medal with a throw of 73.89m. Yadav’s effort was 40cm short of his personal best of 74.49m, achieved at the Indian Open Throws Competition in Patiala in March.
Yadav’s achievement is particularly notable given the challenges he faced. He recovered from a knee injury and also dealt with the disappointment of finishing fifth at the U20 Asian Championships in Hong Kong. During that event, he encountered visa issues and dietary challenges as a vegetarian, which impacted his preparation.
Before the U20 World Championships, Yadav was throwing well in training sessions. His coach mentioned that they discussed improving upon his performance at the U20 Asian Championships. After the competition, Yadav expressed that he was not entirely pleased with his throw, as he had aimed for a greater distance.
Indian athletes’ broader impact
Yadav is the second Indian to win a javelin medal at the Junior World Championships, following Neeraj Chopra’s gold medal in 2016, where Chopra set a world junior record of 86.48m. Chopra lauded Yadav’s silver medal, stating it was a special moment for him as a javelin thrower and that it was just the beginning for Yadav.
The success of Indian javelin throwers is attributed to Chopra’s influence, which has inspired a new wave of talent. Yadav watches clips of Chopra to refine his technique and has also trained with him in South Africa. Currently, there are four Indian men among the top 20 in the javelin throw rankings: Neeraj Chopra (sixth), Sachin Yadav (eighth), Rohit Yadav (16th), and Yash Vir Singh (19th).
In other events at the World Athletics U20 Championships, Pooja Singh, a national senior record holder, qualified for the women’s high jump final by clearing 1.79m. Mohommed Ashfaq finished eighth in the men’s 400m final, having set a new U20 national record in the heats. Additionally, both Shahnavaz Khan and Jithin Arjuna advanced to the men’s long jump finals.
Shahnavaz finished fourth in his qualification group and fifth overall with a 7.73m jump, while Jithin secured the last available spot, finishing 12th overall with a 7.57m jump. Poonam, however, did not qualify for the women’s javelin final, finishing 13th overall with a throw of 48.81m.
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
