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Sachin Yadav, a 25-year-old from Khekeda, Uttar Pradesh, switched from cricket to javelin throwing six years ago at age 19. Despite his family’s initial concerns about choosing a less popular sport than cricket, his father Naresh Yadav supported his decision by borrowing money to buy javelin spikes.At the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, Sachin achieved a remarkable fourth-place finish with a personal best throw of 86.27 metres, just behind USA’s Curtis Thompson who threw 86.67m. His performance demonstrated consistency with throws of 85.71m, 84.90m, and 85.96m.The men’s javelin final in Tokyo produced unexpected results. Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra finished eighth with 84.03m, his first time off the podium in seven years. Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem, the Paris Olympics gold medalist, placed tenth with 82.75m.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!“I told him that come what may, make sure you finish ahead of Nadeem,” said Naval Singh, Sachin’s coach, told the Indian Express.“My target for him was 90m today. He has thrown 90m in the practice. Though he fell short in the final, he proved that he can handle the pressure of the World Championships,” Naval shared during the conversation.The competition saw Trinidad and Tobago’s Keshorn Walcott, the London 2012 gold medalist, claim first place with 88.16m. Grenada’s Anderson Peters secured silver with 87.38m, while Thompson earned bronze.German athlete Julian Weber, who had thrown a world-leading 91.51m in Zurich recently, finished fifth despite being the pre-event favourite.The Indian athletics community now anticipates Neeraj’s performance at the upcoming 2026 Glasgow Commonwealth Games and Nagoya Asian Games. Sachin’s impressive debut has also captured attention in the sport’s circle.
