Indian athletes made a strong impact at the World Athletics U20 Championships taking place in Eugene, USA. Nineteen-year-old Ashish Yadav opened India's medal tally at the tournament by securing a silver medal in the men's javelin throw event. Yadav recorded a throw of 74.09 meters on his third attempt to seal second place on the podium. In the same event, India's T Dharanidharan also delivered a solid performance, finishing sixth overall with a best effort of 72.35 meters.
Following in the Footsteps of Neeraj Chopra
Yadav came within 40 centimeters of matching his personal best. Earlier this year in March, he had achieved a personal record of 74.49 meters during the Indian Open Throw competition held in Patiala. With this historic achievement, the 19-year-old athlete has become only the second Indian after two-time Olympic medalist Neeraj Chopra to win a medal in javelin throw at the World U20 Championships. Neeraj Chopra had won the gold medal in Poland back in 2016 with a World Junior Record throw of 86.48 meters, a mark that stands to this day. In the Eugene final, South Africa's Jan-Hendrik Heymans clinched the gold medal with an impressive 80.50-meter throw.
Pooja Singh Advances to High Jump Final Alongside Two Long Jumpers
India enjoyed further success across field events as national senior record holder Pooja Singh booked her spot in the women's high jump final. Clearances of 1.79 meters across both qualification groups guaranteed advancement, and Pooja safely cleared the bar at 1.79 meters to progress. In the men's long jump, two Indian athletes successfully made it into the final. Shahnawaz Khan logged a jump of 7.79 meters to finish fourth in Qualification Group A and fifth overall, while Jithin Arjun placed 12th overall with a mark of 7.57 meters to claim the final qualification spot.
Mohammad Ashfaq Finishes Eighth in 400m Final
On the track, Mohammad Ashfaq competed in the men's 400-meter final, ending eighth with a clocking of 46.20 seconds. Ashfaq had shattered the U20 national record a day earlier during the opening heat round to make the final field. The United States dominated the event as Jayden Delone took gold in 44.47 seconds and fellow countryman Quincy Wilson claimed silver with a time of 44.62, while South Africa's Leendert K secured the bronze medal. In the women's javelin throw, India's Poonam finished eighth in her qualification group and 13th overall, missing out on qualification for the final round.
