India began its medal campaign at the World Athletics U20 Championships in Eugene, Oregon, with 19-year-old javelin thrower Ashish Yadav claiming silver with a best throw of 74.09 metres.
Yadav recorded his medal-winning effort in his third attempt in the men’s javelin final. He finished behind South Africa’s Jan-Hendrik Heymans, who secured the gold medal with an 80.50m throw on his final attempt. Dominica’s James took the bronze medal with a best effort of 73.89m.
Yadav’s silver marks only the second time an Indian male javelin thrower has won a silver medal at the World Athletics U20 Championships. The only other Indian to win a medal in the event at the championships was Neeraj Chopra, who claimed gold in 2016 in Poland with a world junior record of 86.48m, which still stands. India’s other finalist in the men’s javelin, T Dharanidharan, finished sixth with a best throw of 72.35m.
Yadav receives praise
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami congratulated Yadav on his performance. In a post on X, Dhami praised the athlete’s talent, hard work and determination and wished him continued success.
India entered the World U20 Championships after an impressive performance at the Asian U20 Athletics Championships in Hong Kong. The Indian contingent finished second behind China with a record 19 medals, including 10 gold.
Pooja among India’s medal hopes
High jumper Pooja is among the other Indian athletes expected to challenge for medals in Eugene. The 19-year-old won the women’s high jump title at the Asian U20 Championships after clearing 1.93m. The performance established a new senior national record, surpassing Sahana Kumari’s 1.92m mark set in 2012.
Pooja’s effort also broke the Asian U20 Championships record that had stood since 2006 and secured her qualification for the 2026 Commonwealth Games, where she finished eighth.
Asian U20 champions Nitin Gupta and Shahnavaz Khan are also part of India’s medal hopes. Gupta won the men’s 5000m race walk title in Hong Kong, while Shahnavaz emerged champion in the men’s long jump.