Ashish Yadav wins silver for India at World U-20 javelin

Indian javelin thrower Ashish Yadav won a silver medal at the World Athletics Under-20 Championships on Saturday, August 8, 2026, marking India's first medal at the event in Eugene, Oregon. The 19-year-old achieved his podium finish with a best throw of 74.09 meters.

South Africa’s Jan-Hendrik Heymans won the gold medal with a throw of 80.50 meters, while Addison James of Dominica took bronze with 73.89 meters, a national record. Another Indian competitor, T. Dharanidharan, finished sixth with a throw of 72.35 meters.

Yadav’s silver is the first medal for India in the javelin at the junior world championships since Neeraj Chopra’s historic gold medal and world-record throw of 86.48 meters in 2016. Yadav acknowledged Chopra as a major inspiration but emphasized he is focused on his own path. He said the medal proves he can compete at a high level and secure a podium finish, which he achieved while not fully recovered from a recent knee injury.

The athlete’s journey to the global stage began in challenging circumstances. Hailing from Mawaiya village in Mirzapur, Uttar Pradesh, Yadav initially trained with a wooden javelin in a dry pond near his home due to a lack of proper...