From training in dry ponds with wooden javelin to following Chopra's trail: Rise of Ashish
Ashish Yadav, a 19-year-old athlete from Uttar Pradesh, won a silver medal in the javelin throw at the U20 World Championships. His journey from training in difficult conditions to international success mirrors the rise of Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra.
Why it matters
It highlights the development of grassroots sports talent in India and the impact of specialized training facilities on international performance.
NEW DELHI: Ashish Yadav's journey started with a wooden javelin in Mawaiya, Mirzapur, Uttar Pradesh. He trained near dry ponds with quicksand patches. The dangers of such a location notwithstanding, Ashish wanted to follow in Neeraj Chopra's footsteps.The 19-year-old weighed all of 70kg when he was picked to train in Hisar at the facility jointly run by the Inspire Institute of Sport (IIS) and the Sports Authority of India (SAI). His six-feet-one-inch frame put him in the underweight category, but coach Arvind Kumar saw promise in him. And on Friday night in Eugene, Oregon, that promise turned into a silver medal.At the U20 World Championships, India won its first medal courtesy of Ashish's 74.09-metre throw, behind South Africa's Jan-Hendrik Heymans (80.50m).
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