World U20: Ashish ends India's 10-year wait for javelin medal since Neeraj's gold

NEW DELHI: Ashish Yadav has joined an elite Indian club after winning a silver medal in men's javelin throw at the World Athletics U20 Championships, becoming only the second Indian to win a medal in the event at the global junior competition — 10 years after Neeraj Chopra's historic triumph.The 19-year-old Yadav opened India's medal account on the third day of the championships with a best throw of 74.09m, achieved in his third attempt. His performance earned him the silver medal and marked another significant milestone for Indian javelin at the junior level.Chopra remains the only other Indian to have stood on the podium in men's javelin at the World U20 Championships. In 2016, the future two-time Olympic medallist produced a stunning 86.48m throw in Bydgoszcz, Poland, winning gold while setting a world junior record that still stands.A decade later, Yadav has followed in his footsteps.South Africa's Jan-Hendrik Heymans took the gold with an enormous 80.50m throw on his sixth and final attempt, a mark that also became the season's U20 world-leading effort. India's other finalist, T Dharanidharan, finished sixth with a best throw of 72.35m.Ashish delivers on the big stageYadav's silver is particularly significant for an Indian athletics programme that has seen javelin emerge as one of its strongest events over the past decade, largely inspired by Chopra's rise.While Chopra's 2016 gold remains the benchmark, Yadav's podium finish ensures that India now has two medal-winning performances in the men's javelin event at the World U20 Championships.The result also adds to a promising campaign for the Indian contingent, with several athletes making progress across events.Ashfaq breaks national recordMohommed Ashfaq produced another standout performance by breaking the men's U20 national record in the 400m.The 19-year-old clocked 45.81 seconds in his heat, finishing second behind USA's Jayden DeLeon (45.63s) and fourth overall to qualify for the semifinals. Ashfaq bettered his own previous national record of 46.05 seconds, set in April this year.Piyush Raj, however, failed to advance after finishing fifth in his heat and 35th overall in 47.78 seconds.In women's discus, 18-year-old Amanat Kamboj finished sixth with a personal best of 53.24m in the final. China's Su Yixin won gold with 61.06m, while USA's Jaslene Massey and Cyprus' Marina Hadjicosta took silver and bronze respectively.Basant also progressed to the men's high jump final after clearing 2.14m, while several other Indian athletes missed out on qualification across shot put, hurdles and triple jump.Get the latest Sports News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.