Uttarakhand CM Praises Ashish Yadav for Silver Medal at World U20 Championships

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami congratulated Ashish Yadav for winning a silver medal in javelin throw at the World U20 Athletics Championships. Ashish's impressive throw of 74.09 meters secured him second place, while South Africa's Heymans took gold. The Indian team, which includes promising athletes like Pooja, is entering the competition with high hopes following a successful outing at the Asian U20 Championships. Read on to learn more about India's achievements and future prospects in athletics.

By Narendra Chaudhary Aug 8, 2026, 12:39 IST

Celebrating Ashish Yadav's Achievement

On Saturday, Uttarakhand's Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami expressed his congratulations to Ashish Yadav, who secured a silver medal in javelin throw at the World U20 Athletics Championships with an impressive throw of 74.09 meters.

Ashish achieved his best throw of 74.09 meters during the third round, earning him the second position in the event. The gold medal was claimed by South Africa's Heymans with a throw of 80.50 meters, while Dominica's James took home the bronze with a throw of 73.89 meters.

CM Dhami's Heartfelt Message

In a post on X, CM Dhami congratulated Ashish, stating, "Ashish Yadav clinched the silver medal at the World U20 Athletics Championship with a splendid throw of 74.09 meters. This outstanding performance is a testament to his talent, hard work, and dedication. Heartiest congratulations to Ashish Yadav on this remarkable achievement, and best wishes for a bright future ahead!"

India's Performance at the Championships

In addition to Ashish, T. Dharanidharan represented India in the same event, finishing sixth with a throw of 72.35 meters.

This achievement follows India's Neeraj Chopra, who won the U20 javelin gold in 2016 with a world-record throw of 86.48 meters.

As reported by Olympics.com, the Indian team consists of 23 men and 13 women athletes, entering the global competition after a historic performance at the Asian U20 Athletics Championships in Hong Kong, where they secured second place with a total of 19 medals, including 10 gold.

Highlighting Promising Athletes

The spotlight is on 19-year-old Pooja, who has emerged as a leading talent in Indian athletics this season. She won the women's high jump title at the Asian U20 Championships with a clearance of 1.93 meters, setting a new senior national record and surpassing the previous record of 1.92 meters held by Sahana Kumari since 2012. Her gold-winning performance also broke the championship record that had been in place since 2006 and secured her qualification for the 2026 Commonwealth Games, where she finished eighth under challenging rainy conditions.

Alongside Pooja, Asian U20 champions Nitin Gupta and Shahnavaz Khan are also expected to contribute to India's medal tally in Oregon. Nitin won the men's 5000m race walk title at the continental event, while Shahnavaz achieved gold in the men's long jump.