CHENNAI: When thrower Ashish Yadav returned home empty-handed from the U20 Asian Championships late in May, he was still given a dignified welcome along with the heightened celebrations surrounding those who returned with a medal. Yadav’s 69.58m effort in Hong Kong only took him as far as fifth.
Two months later, he took on the world, and returned home with a shining silver medal and a hero's welcome. At Eugene, where the recently concluded World Athletics U20 Championships, a 74.09m throw, second only to his personal best (74.49m in March 2026), earned him second spot in the men’s final. South Africa’s Jan-Hendrik Heymans won gold with 80.50m.
At a time where India’s javelin throwers have been inconsistent, Ashish’s medal – a first since Neeraj Chopra in 2016 at this level – was a sign of better things to come. It had been quite a ride for this teenager from Mawaiya village in Mirzapur, where there is no ground to play even now. All he had then and even now are dried up ponds and farmland.
Born to a milkman and a housewife, he took to javelin with a few friends in a dried pond during summers. “It’s been a year and a half since I went there. But there is no ground to play on, as yet,” he said, hoping to see a change.
But with relatives like 2014 Commonwealth Games bronze medallist and weightlifter Punam Yadav, Ashish got to know a lot about the sport and what it can bring to one's life. “I didn't know much before winning a medal. Since she’s been in the sport for a long time, she knows a lot. She told me what happens in the game and how to talk to people. I got to learn all these things from my aunt,” he said.
And it might have given him the edge in Eugene. After finishing first in the first round of qualifying, Ashish recalled how he felt the pressure before the final. “It was my first major, world-level tournament. This time last year, I didn't even take part in any sort of competition. But it all went well in Eugene,” he added.
Joining JSW’s Inspire Institute of Sport and training under Arvind Kumar in their Hisar facility has been key to Ashish’s growth. Joining the facility in November last year with a back injury, he thanked them for their support. "I threw 64m in a selection trial in Hisar. Then, when I joined the institute I got to know about my body more and understand how recovery works. I was able to see improvement. I threw 77 metres during practice,” he said.
And Ashish will not be settled with just this silver. Now, he aims to improve his mark, as he trains with his coach for the rest of the season. “Now the focus is to improve on this mark and come back a better thrower,” he signed off.