Ashish Yadav Eyes Job Support After World U20 Javelin Silver

World Under-20 javelin silver medallist Ashish Yadav says he is still searching for a job to support his family, despite making a rapid rise in the sport after moving from his village in Mirzapur, Uttar Pradesh, to train in Hisar. The 19-year-old won silver at the World U20 Championships and now hopes his continued progress can bring both medals and financial stability at home.

Before relocating to the IIS-SAI Centre in Hisar in April 2025, Yadav helped his father sell milk in their village. Fifteen months later, he has become the second Indian to win a World U20 javelin silver medal, following Neeraj Chopra. Chopra won gold at the 2016 edition in Poland and set the world junior record of 86.48m, which still stands.

From village competitions to a global silver medal

Yadav said his family’s financial position has not changed alongside his sporting breakthrough. His father sells milk in Mirzapur, while Yadav’s extended family includes three soldiers and three farmers among his father’s six brothers.

“My father is a milkman, he sells milk at our village in Mirzapur. My father has six brothers, three soldiers and three farmers. I feel bad when my father sells milk,” Yadav said in an interaction facilitated by the Athletics Federation of India.

He added that he is looking for employment while continuing to train. “I am searching for job, but not getting yet. I will train well and work hard in Hisar to win medals for the country,” he said. “The financial situation at home is just the same, not improving, since I am not getting any job.”

Yadav’s development has accelerated under coach Arvind Kumar at the Hisar centre. He had previously competed at village and district-level meets, beginning with wooden javelins supplied by a relative. He said his target on joining the programme was to reach 70 metres, even though other athletes training there were already 60m throwers.

According to Yadav, his throwing distance improved by nearly 20 metres in six months under Kumar. He said he arrived without technique and credited his coach with teaching him the event’s fundamentals, improving his physical conditioning and helping him add body mass. Yadav said his weight has increased from 68kg to 85kg, alongside access to nutrition support, regular check-ups and muscle-mass measurements at the centre.

The silver medal is significant not only as an international result but also as a marker of how quickly Yadav has progressed since entering structured training. He hopes his journey will also encourage others in his village to take up javelin, a sport he said nobody there had previously pursued.

Injury setback and the next 80m target

Yadav said a Posterolateral Corner, or PLC, knee injury hampered his preparations for the World U20 event. He explained that his training was disrupted and that he was unable to throw on the ground before the competition, instead undergoing rehabilitation in the lab before travelling.

“My ground best is 79m, but I couldn’t cover the distance because of injury,” Yadav said. “After the rehab, I went to the competition. So, I couldn’t throw my best. Still, I got a medal for the country.”

His stated aim is now to improve his strength, overall body condition and technique, with the 80m mark the next major target over the next year or two. Yadav said national and international competitions have helped him identify weaknesses and deficiencies that he intends to address.

Chopra congratulated Yadav on social media, calling the World U20 silver “just the start.” Yadav said he has not yet met the Olympic medallist and does not want comparisons, preferring instead to focus on working hard and building his own path in the event.