Exactly a decade after Neeraj Chopra’s iconic gold medal triumph in 2016, 19-year-old Ashish Yadav has etched his name in Indian athletics history by securing a silver medal in the men’s javelin throw at the 2026 World Athletics U20 Championships in Eugene, USA. Yadav opened India’s medal account on the third day of the competition with a decisive third-round throw of 74.09m. Despite an initial foul in his second attempt, the youngster maintained his composure to hold onto second place, finishing behind South Africa’s Jan-Hendrik Heymans, who claimed gold with a dominant 80.50m effort.
Yadav’s podium finish is a significant milestone, making him only the second Indian male athlete—following in the legendary footsteps of two-time Olympic medalist Neeraj Chopra—to secure a medal in the event at the junior world level. The Indian contingent saw further promise as T. Dharanidharan, the other Indian finalist, finished sixth with a throw of 72.35m. This success underscores the rapidly expanding depth of Indian javelin throwers, as a new generation of talent continues to emerge from the shadow of Chopra’s monumental 2016 world junior record. Beyond the javelin pit, the Indian squad also celebrated a new national U20 record in the men’s 400m, where 19-year-old Mohommed Ashfaq clocked 45.81 seconds to advance to the semifinals.
