New Delhi, August 12: India showcased an impressive performance at the World Athletics Under-20 Championship, securing a total of three medals, including two silvers and one bronze. Ashish Yadav, who earned the first medal for India in the javelin throw, expressed pride in winning a medal for his country, despite not achieving his personal best due to an injury.
In an interview, Ashish said, “I feel great. We won a medal for our country at the World Championship. It was a wonderful experience. My personal best is 74.49 meters, but I threw slightly less than that. I had a minor injury, which affected my performance. I aim to improve in the future. Initially, my family advised me against javelin throwing due to the high risk of injury. They suggested discus throw instead, as my uncle, Dharmraj Yadav, is a discus thrower. Nevertheless, I chose to pursue javelin and continued to progress.”
Ashish shared that his first coach was Ashish Singh Rathore. He later honed his skills under coach Rustam Khan. He credited his current coach, Arvind Kumar, for helping him achieve his best performance. Meanwhile, Shahnawaz Khan, who won a bronze medal in the men’s long jump, also expressed his happiness about winning a medal for the country. He mentioned that there is some pressure during competitions. Shahnawaz revealed that he began his career in the village of Madhepura, training by the canal.
India concluded the championship with a total of three medals—two silvers and one bronze—matching the total medals won in 2021 and 2022. The first medal for India came in the men’s javelin throw, where Ashish Yadav claimed silver. Following that, Basant Kumar Meghwal secured another silver in the men’s high jump, while Shahnawaz Khan brought home the bronze in the men’s long jump.
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