Anushka Yadav Shatters National Hammer Throw Record at Championships

The National Inter-State Championships witnessed extraordinary performances as Anushka Yadav shattered the national hammer throw record with a throw of 67.02 meters, while Dev Meena set a new pole vault record. Both athletes are gearing up for the upcoming Commonwealth Games, showcasing their incredible talent and determination. Additionally, Jyothi Yarraji made a stunning comeback after injury, running sub-13 seconds in the hurdles. Read on to discover more about these inspiring athletes and their aspirations for future competitions.

By Narendra Chaudhary Jun 24, 2026, 23:32 IST

Record-Breaking Performances at National Inter-State Championships

In a remarkable display of talent, 18-year-old Anushka Yadav from Uttar Pradesh made headlines by breaking the national hammer throw record during the opening day of the National Inter-State Championships held at Kalinga Stadium. Anushka, who comes from a farming background in Baleni village, achieved an impressive throw of 67.02 meters, surpassing the previous record of 65.25 meters set by Sarita Singh in 2017.

This achievement marks Anushka as the youngest athlete to hold a national record in athletics. She significantly improved her personal best, which was 62.89 meters, achieved while winning gold at the National Games last year.

Throughout her six attempts, Anushka broke the national record twice. She started with a throw of 62.07 meters, followed by a second attempt that exceeded Sarita's record at 65.64 meters. After a few inconsistent throws, she capped off her performance with a stunning 67.02 meters in her final attempt.

Her initial throw also met the Asian Games qualifying standard of 61.72 meters set by the Athletics Federation of India (AFI). Despite this success, she currently ranks 11th among Asian hammer throwers this season.

Initially interested in sprinting, Anushka transitioned to hammer throw based on her father Sushil Yadav's guidance, who is also her coach and a former hammer thrower. "My father encourages me in this sport. I have three coaches, including him and Chirag Yadav, and I train at my local ground," she shared after her record-breaking feat.

Anushka expressed her ambition to throw over 70 meters and secure a gold medal at the Asian Games. She also revealed that she had suffered a ligament injury in March but recovered in time to compete in the championships.

In the men's pole vault event, Madhya Pradesh's Dev Meena set a new national record by clearing 5.46 meters, surpassing the previous record of 5.45 meters. Both Meena and Kuldeep Kumar, who finished third with a height of 5.20 meters, have been selected for the Indian team for the upcoming Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

Additionally, national record holder in the 100m hurdles, Jyothi Yarraji, made a triumphant return to competition after a year-long injury hiatus. She clocked 13.14 seconds in the heats, exceeding the AFI's Asian Games qualifying time of 13.34 seconds, and later won gold in the final with a time of 12.99 seconds.

Yarraji, who underwent ACL surgery last July, expressed her joy at returning to form, stating, "I felt so good. Exactly a year ago, I got injured on this day, and now I’m back on track. It means a lot to me." She aims to maintain her fitness and compete for gold at the Asian Games.