Dehradun (Uttarakhand) [India], August 8 (ANI): Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Saturday congratulated Indian javelin thrower Ashish Yadav for winning the silver medal at the World U20 Athletics Championships with a throw of 74.09 metres.

Ashish produced his best effort of 74.09 metres in the third round to finish second in the competition. South Africa's Heymans won the gold medal with a throw of 80.50 metres, while Dominica's James secured the bronze with 73.89 metres.

Congratulating Ashish on his achievement, Dhami, in a post on X said, '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!'

https://x.com/pushkardhami/status/2085957401627550011?s=20

India's T. Dharanidharan also competed in the event and finished sixth with a best throw of 72.35 metres.

The achievement comes in a competition that has previously seen India's Neeraj Chopra win the U20 javelin gold in 2016 with a world-record throw of 86.48 metres.

According to Olympics.com, the Indian squad comprises 23 men and 13 women and heads into the global showpiece on the back of a historic outing at the Asian U20 Athletics Championships in Hong Kong, China, where the country finished second behind China with a record haul of 19 medals, including 10 gold.

All eyes will be on the 19-year-old Pooja, who has emerged as one of India's brightest athletics prospects this season. She clinched the women's high jump title at the Asian U20 Championships with a clearance of 1.93m, setting a new senior national record and eclipsing the previous mark of 1.92m set by Sahana Kumari in 2012.

Her gold-winning effort also erased the championship record that had stood since 2006 and secured qualification for the 2026 Commonwealth Games, where she went on to finish eighth in challenging rainy conditions.

Apart from Pooja, Asian U20 champions Nitin Gupta and Shahnavaz Khan will also spearhead India's medal hopes in Oregon. Nitin claimed the men's 5000m race walk title at the continental meet, while Shahnavaz struck gold in the men's long jump. (ANI)