CHENNAI: Before the National inter-state senior athletics championships in Bhubaneswar, javelin thrower Rohit Yadav was walking on thin ice. With the likes of Sachin Yadav, Yashvir Singh and Kishore Jena already entering the above-85m club, it was do-or-die event for the athlete from East Uttar Pradesh.
“I saw both Sachin and Yash Vir throw around 82-83 metres. I was thinking, I should do much better, considering the disappointment in the Federation Cup in Ranchi,” he recalled the men’s javelin throw final in a virtual interaction to this daily.
In his sixth and final attempt, Yadav launched the javelin high into the night sky in Bhubaneswar, and saw it land beyond the 85-metre mark. As '87.05m' was displayed on the screen, Rohit finally had his moment. That throw put him second in this year’s world standings behind Sri Lankan Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage’s monstrous 92.62m, as Rohit’s confidence increased in leaps and bounds, well ahead of big ticket events like the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and the Asian Games in Japan.
The lineup Rohit will be a part of in Glasgow will be competitive. In addition to Pathirage, multiple Olympic medallist Neeraj Chopra, Keshorn Walcott and defending Commonwealth Games champion from Pakistan Arshad Nadeem are expected to take part. As he prepares to leave for Poland for AFI’s preparatory camp, he revealed his objectives ahead of the quadrennial event. “Neeraj has won all the medals with below 90-metre throws. So, it's not like he will do it in the 90s. It depends on how the body feels that day. I keep in mind that we will only do what we have done, which is to keep throwing in the 87m range whether I get a medal or not,” he said.
His season best, before his new personal best throw hovered around 82-83 metres. That way, his 87.05m throw in a way has realised his potential. All relaxed and waiting to leave from Patiala for the AFI’s preparatory camp in Poland ahead of the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, he spoke on his progression. “In 2022, I did three throws of around 82 metres and five throws of 80m so at that time, the best throw would have come around 85 metres, but it did not happen. I missed out on doing my best in the World Championships and the Commonwealth Games that year. In 2023, I kept throwing at 83 metres. If you keep doing that, then your range comes at 86 metres,” he explained.
He felt an elbow injury in 2023 stopped him from peaking. However, his recovery at Inspire Institute of Sport — a centre he has been associated with since 2019 — helped him slowly get back to the reckoning. “I returned from injury in 2024. I threw 79.31m in the season. In 2025, I scored another personal best of 83.65 meters. So, this year, I was scoring very good throws on the ground. But that did not come out in competitions. So, I am very happy with my 87.05 metre throw. Had that come earlier, it would have been good,” he said.
While that throw has made him feel better, Rohit said that this is just the start. “I have a feeling that I will do better in the future. There are two major competitions (CWG and Asian Games) this year. I will do well in one of them. We still have a lot of throws ahead of us,” he added.
