Ashish Yadav clinches silver, ending India's decade-long wait for a U20 javelin medal

At the World Athletics U20 Championships, 19-year-old Ashish Yadav delivered a 74.09 m throw in his third round, earning the silver medal in the men’s javelin and ending a ten-year gap since Neeraj Chopra’s historic gold. South Africa’s Jan-Hendrik Heymans captured the title with an 80.50 m effort, the season’s best for the U20 category. Yadav joins Chopra as only the second Indian to stand on the junior world javelin podium, where Chopra’s 86.48 m record from 2016 still stands. Fellow Indian T Dharanidharan finished sixth with a 72.35 m throw, while the broader Indian squad saw notable performances, including Mohommed Ashfaq’s new national U20 record of 45.81 s in the 400 m. The championships highlight the rising depth of India’s athletics program, particularly in the javelin discipline.