Young Star Anushka Yadav Shatters National Hammer Throw Record at Championships
Historic Performances at the National Inter-State Championships
Bhubaneswar: Anushka Yadav, an 18-year-old hammer thrower from Uttar Pradesh, delivered an astonishing performance by breaking the national record during the opening day of the National Inter-State Championships held at Kalinga Stadium. Hailing from a farming family in Baleni village, Baghpat district, Anushka launched the hammer an impressive 67.02 meters, surpassing the previous record of 65.25 meters set by Sarita Singh in 2017. This achievement makes her the youngest holder of a national record in athletics.
Anushka's remarkable feat included breaking the national record twice within her six attempts. She started with a throw of 62.07 meters, then surpassed the previous record with a second attempt of 65.64 meters. Following throws of 64.81 meters, 61.89 meters, and a foul, she concluded with a stunning 67.02 meters on her final attempt. Notably, her first throw also exceeded the Asian Games qualifying mark of 61.72 meters established by the Athletics Federation of India (AFI). Currently, she ranks 11th among Asian hammer throwers this season.
In the men's pole vault, Dev Meena from Madhya Pradesh also made headlines by clearing 5.46 meters, breaking the previous national record of 5.45 meters. Last month, both Meena and Kuldeep Kumar had set the earlier record at the Federation Cup. Kumar secured third place with a jump of 5.20 meters, while Tamil Nadu's G Reegan finished second with 5.30 meters.
Both Meena and Kumar have been selected for the 32-member Indian team for the upcoming Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. In another highlight, national record holder in the 100m hurdles, Jyothi Yarraji, made a triumphant return after a year-long injury hiatus. She clocked 13.14 seconds, surpassing the AFI's Asian Games qualifying time of 13.34 seconds in her heat, and later won gold in the final with a time of 12.99 seconds. Yarraji, who had ACL surgery last July, previously earned a silver medal at the 2022 Asian Games in China.
However, reigning Asian champion Gul Veer Singh did not meet the Asian Games qualifying standard in the men's 5000m race, finishing with a less-than-stellar time. The championships are co-hosted by the Athletics Federation of India and the Odisha Department of Sports and Youth Services. Suryabanshi Suraj, the Minister of Sports and Youth Services for Odisha, inaugurated the event, commending the athletes and highlighting the state's sports infrastructure. Other notable attendees included Lalit Kumar Bhanot, President of the South Asian Athletics Federation, and Bhupendra Singh Poonia, Commissioner of the Sports and Youth Services Department.