By Sahil Kohli
Hisar (Haryana) [India], August 24 (ANI): India's young javelin thrower Ashish Yadav, who won a silver medal in the men's javelin throw at the U20 Athletics Championships last month, said the competition exposed him to a higher level of competitive pressure. He also credited the influence and success of legendary javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra with inspiring him to take up the sport.
Ashish won the silver medal in the men's javelin throw at the World Athletics U20 Championships earlier this month, becoming only the second Indian after Neeraj to finish on the podium in the event at the global junior championships. The 19-year-old produced a best throw of 74.09m to finish behind South Africa's Jan-Hendrik Heymans, who clinched the gold with a world U20-leading effort of 80.50m. Dominica's Addison James won the bronze medal with 73.89m.
Ashish's achievement came a decade after Chopra became the first Indian to win a javelin medal at the World U20 Championships when he claimed gold at Bydgoszcz in 2016 with a world U20 record of 86.48m.
Speaking to ANI after his recent medal win, Ashish said that the world meet opened him up to an increased level of pressure and helped him overcome the pre-competition jitters he used to face. He was also able to identify his weaker points and what held him back from greater levels of success.
"It feels really good to have won the medal, because it was my first international medal. I learnt a lot. I met many people from other countries, saw how other athletes perform and understood the level of pressure in such competitions. I observed what my competitors did well. I am gaining experience gradually. Earlier, I used to be scared during competitions, but now it is getting better. I have realised where I need to work, where I am weak, and why I am unable to perform my best in competitions compared to my practice sessions. So, I am slowly identifying my weaknesses and what I could not achieve earlier," said the athlete.
Ashish comes from a family of farmers and said that his father used to sell milk. He also admitted to have worked with him for around 17 years before his uncle convinced him to take up sport, and he came to Hisar to train under his coach Arvind. While his earlier days were filled with injuries, his rehab and overall care got much better at the Inspire Institute of Sport (IIS), with proper physios, facilities and diets available to him. The institution also helped him get a chance to board a plane for the first time.
"I come from a farming family. My father sells milk. I also worked with him for about 17 years. Then my uncle suggested I start playing a sport. Following his advice, I came to Hisar to train under Arvind sir. I did well there. I was struggling with an injury for a long time, and then I went to IIS (Inspire Institute of Sport). The first time I ever flew on a flight was when IIS arranged it for me. I never thought I would fly on a plane. When I first joined IIS, it was a great experience," said Ashish.
The young athlete also spoke about Neeraj's influence, saying that his success gave everyone courage to pursue the sport.
"He (Neeraj) is a massive figure for Indian athletics. India has progressed significantly following his success and his medal. We also started following him. In my village, no one really knew what javelin was. Seeing him gave us the courage to pursue it. If Neeraj sir could do it, then we can also do it," he said.
Ashish said IIS takes care of players' competition payments, travel, food and hotel stays and has some of the best rehab and physio facilities in the country. He also admitted to having faced injuries before the tournament and practising small throws just to check his pain and preparation level.
"They (IIS) take care of all our competition payments, travel, food, and hotel stays. They look after everything. The diet was excellent there. I underwent proper rehab and practised my throws. Their physio and rehab centre is one of the best. I was there for rehab just before the competition and went straight to the event from there. I had stopped throwing for a month, doing only 5-6 throws of about 30-40 meters daily just to check my pain level. So, that was my routine there," he said.
Speaking about his goals ahead, Ashish said the focus remains on overcoming his recurring injuries, on improving his strength to hit better throws, and eventually getting back to training for under-23 competition, with his under-20 journey over.
"I feel a bit weak right now because of recurring injuries. I need to work a lot on my strength. Once I achieve that, I will be able to hit better distances. That is the task ahead. I have just returned from the competition and have a few days of rest, after which I will get back to training. My Under-20 journey is over now, so I'll be competing in the Under-23 category. I will prepare for whatever competitions come up and try my best," he signed off. (ANI)
Exposure to more competitive pressure, Neeraj Chopra's influence: Javelin thrower Ashish speaks on U20 World Athletics C'ships silver
