Bhubaneswar (Odisha) [India], June 29 (ANI): Javelin thrower Rohit Yadav has garnered attention after being ranked second in the global standings for men’s javelin throw, achieving a significant throw of 87.05m on the final day of the 65th National Inter-State Senior Athletics Championships at Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar.

The 25-year-old athlete delivered a gold-winning throw of 87.05m in his final attempt, establishing himself as the top Indian javelin thrower this season and placing him second globally, just behind Sri Lankan Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage, who recorded a throw of 92.62m, as stated in a press release.

Two-time Olympic and world medallist Neeraj Chopra currently holds the fourth position in the global rankings with a throw of 85.69m.

Rohit Yadav’s previous best throw was 83.04m, achieved earlier in 2023. His latest throw of 87.05m not only surpassed his personal record but also exceeded the meet record of 84.35m set by Manu DP in 2022.

‘Today’s performance was a big boost to my confidence ahead of major competitions like the Glasgow Commonwealth Games and the Asian Games in Japan,’ said the international thrower.

‘I’ve been consistently throwing distances of 86m and 87m in practice, but translating those throws into competition had been challenging. It was frustrating, but I’m thrilled to have set a new benchmark today,’ he added.

During the event, Rohit Yadav’s series included throws of 77.71m, 77.63m, no mark, 77.51m, 79.40m, and 87.05m.

‘I was able to achieve a throw of 87.05m in my last attempt because I found a good rhythm,’ remarked the Uttar Pradesh thrower.

Looking ahead, Rohit Yadav emphasized the need to consistently throw over 85m or 86m in his opening attempts to perform optimally in future competitions.

In addition to Rohit Yadav, Yashvir Singh (83.72m) and Sachin Yadav (82.32m) secured second and third places, respectively, both achieving the qualification mark for the Japan Asian Games of 77.87m.

In other events, Kerala’s international jumper Sreeshankar M showcased remarkable consistency, winning gold with a jump of 8.38m on his fourth attempt. All his legal jumps on the day exceeded 8m, with series measurements of 8.06m, 8.00m, 8.21m, 8.38m, 8.26m, and a no mark on his final attempt. ‘It was a competitive field that motivated me to give my best, and I kept pushing hard,’ Sreeshankar commented on his performance.

Several athletes met the Asian Games qualification standards in their respective events on Sunday. The Athletics Federation of India (AFI) is set to announce the contingent for the Asian Games on Monday.

Long jumper Sreeshankar M and Ancy Sojan were honored as the best male and female athletes of the meet.

Uttar Pradesh clinched the men’s team trophy with 71 points, while Haryana took home the women’s team trophy with 82 points. Tamil Nadu emerged victorious in the overall team championships with a total of 138 points.

Day-five Results

Men

• 400m (AG Q Time 45.97 secs): Vishal TK (Tamil Nadu) 45.43 secs, Manu TS (Kerala) 45.60 secs, Jay Kumar (Uttar Pradesh) 45.73 secs
• 10,000m (AG Q Time 29:00.00): Abhishek Pal (Uttar Pradesh) 30:03.88 secs, Sawan Barwal (Himachal Pradesh) 30:08.08 secs, Shailesh Kushwaha (Karnataka) 30:23.13 secs
• 3000m steeplechase (AG Q Time 8:36.57 secs): Balkishan (Haryana) 8:50.18 secs, Sharuk Khan (Uttar Pradesh) 8:53.18 secs, Shubham Bhandare (Maharashtra) 8:54.90 secs
• Javelin throw (AG Q Mark 77.87m): Rohit Yadav (Uttar Pradesh) 87.05m, Yashvir Singh (Rajasthan) 83.72m, Sachin Yadav (Uttar Pradesh) 82.32m
• Long jump (AG Q Mark 7.91m): Sreeshankar M (Kerala) 8.38m, Shahnavaz Khan (Uttar Pradesh) 8.30m, David P (Tamil Nadu) 8.06m
• 4x400m relay: Tamil Nadu 3:9.32 secs, Karnataka 3:09.51 secs, Kerala 3:09.51 secs

Women

• 400m (AG Q Time 53.72 seconds): Prachi (Uttar Pradesh) 53.24 secs, Kiran Pahal (Haryana) 53.45 secs, Devyaniba Zala (Gujarat) 53.46 secs
• 10,000m (AG Q Time: 33:50.00): Seema (Himachal Pradesh) 34:28.75 secs, Soniya (Uttarakhand) 34:35.22 secs, Ravina Gayakwad (Maharashtra) 35:44.45 secs
• 3000m steeplechase (AG Q Time 9:47.53 secs): Ankita (Uttarakhand) 9:44.05, Khushbu Gupta (Uttar Pradesh) 19:38.47, Kumari Parru (Rajasthan) 10:52.28
• High jump (AG Q Mark 1.80m): Pooja (Haryana) 1.83m, Supriya B (Karnataka) 1.80m, Khyati Mathur (Uttar Pradesh) 1.80m
• Heptathlon (AG Q Mark 5605 points): Pooja (Haryana) 5619 points, Anamika KA (Kerala) 5466 points, Khushi (Haryana) 5438 points
• 4x400m relay: Tamil Nadu 3:35.87 secs, Karnataka 3:36.18 secs, Kerala 3:39.70 secs