Ashish Yadav scripted history and became the first Indian since Neeraj Chopra to win a medal in men’s javelin at the World U-20 Athletics Championship. Yadav delivered a strong show, throwing 74.09m to win a silver medal for the country. The U20 World Athletics Championship has given India many stars in the past. It was at this tournament in 2016 that India’s great Neeraj Chopra announced himself. The veteran set the all-time record with a throw of 86.48m, a mark that still stands as the world U20 best.
Indian athletes failed to win a medal at the event since Chopra set the world record, but the decade-long wait was ended by Ashish Yadav. The youngster had qualified for the final after a throw of 69.80m. Apart from Yadav, T Dharanidharan also made the final with a 68.07m.
Yadav also came close to beating his personal best of 74.48m, but marginally fell short. Still, he returned home with a silver medal. Yadav’s series was 69.96m, x, 74.09m, 72.31m, 70.62m, 67.98m.
Ashish Yadav wins silver in men's javelin throw with a 74.09m effort at World Athletics U20 Championships. 🥈🇮🇳🚀#AshishYadav #WorldU20 #JavelinThrow #IndiaAtU20 #Athletics pic.twitter.com/oLyDJfwtrJ
— TheNews21 (@the_news_21) August 8, 2026
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The gold medal was won by South Africa’s Jan Hendrik Heymans, who was way ahead of his competitors, throwing a staggering 80.50m. His first throw of 76.92 would also have earned him the gold medal, but he continued to push for a longer distance. Meanwhile, James of Dominica finished third with 73.89m. Dharanidharan was placed sixth with 72.35m.
Who Is Ashish Yadav?
Ashish Yadav is one of the top young talents in the country. Born on April 1, 2007, he has competed for Uttar Pradesh and the Army. Earlier this year in March, he grabbed eyebrows after winning the U20 title at the Indian Open Throws competition in Patiala, with a personal best of 74.49. He later recorded 72.27m to finish third at the Indian Athletics Series in Ludhiana and also won silver at the National Junior U-20 Athletics Federation Competition in Tumakuru with a 73.12m effort.