New Delhi, April 19 (H.S.): Himanshu Jakhar from India made history in the men's javelin throw event at the Asian Under-18 Athletics Championship held in Dammam, Saudi Arabia. Himanshu won the gold medal by throwing the javelin a remarkable distance of 67.57 meters. Following this historic victory, Himanshu's eyes are now set on the Khelo India Youth Games 2025, which will be held in Bihar from May 4 to 15.

Seventeen-year-old Himanshu, a resident of Salhawas village in Jhajjar district of Haryana, achieved this gold medal by surpassing China’s Lu Hao (63.45 meters) and Uzbekistan’s Ruslan Sadullayev (61.96 meters). Himanshu, who comes from a farming family, has made his parents, Dalvir and Reena, extremely proud of his accomplishment.

Inspired by Neeraj Chopra, Himanshu told Sai Media that he picked up the javelin five years ago and received his initial training in his village. For the past few years, he has been practicing under coach Arvind at the SAI Center in Hisar. Himanshu said, “The experience has been amazing. Winning gold for the country is the result of hard work and good training. My inspiration has always been Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra. I learn a lot from his humility and the way he remains calm under pressure.”

Himanshu added, “Now my next goal is the Khelo India Youth Games, where I want to showcase my abilities and attract the attention of talent scouts for the country. This platform is very important for youths like us, as it allows us to represent the country in the future.”

Himanshu previously achieved a personal best of 74.56 meters with a 700-gram javelin at the National Junior Athletics Championship in December 2024.

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar