FOCUS ON MEN’S JAVELIN DURING FOURTH INDIAN OPEN THROWS COMPETITION
Promising javelin thrower Sahil Silwal is all set for an exciting duel during the two-day fourth edition of the Indian Open Throws Competition here at Jio Institute in Navi Mumbai starting Thursday.
Olympian Shivpal Singh and Rohit Yadav, 2022 World Championships finalist in Eugene, USA, are the other two main contenders for gold medal in the men’s group.
The 24 years old Silwal has been training with Reliance Foundation in Mumbai for the past one year and had a good pre-season training camp in South Africa. “I’m extremely excited to get my season started on a promising note as the competition is being held in my own backyard,” Silwal said on Wednesday.
Silwal’s personal best of 81.81m was recorded last year in June during a domestic meet in Panchkula, Haryana. While ace javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra holds the national record of 89.94m set in 2022.
The men’s javelin event in Mumbai has attracted 27 competitors. But the season’s leading thrower and 2025 National Games champion, Sachin Yadav, will skip the event as he is nursing an ankle niggle.
Both Singh and Yadav started their season with 38th Uttarakhand National Games earlier in February and are expected to battle out with Silwal for the leading positions.
The men’s javelin is scheduled for Thursday evening. Overall 200 competitors in U18, U20 and senior groups in both male and female categories will contest for 22 finals, including 11 on Thursday.
The competition will be conducted in shot put, discus throw, hammer and javelin.
Steve Lemke, throws coach at Reliance Foundation said, two-day competition at Jio Institute will be a great opportunity for his athletes to make a strong start to the 2025 competitive season. “We are fielding 12 throwers at the fourth Indian Open Throwing Competition,” Lemke added. “The throwing competition marks another significant step in the longstanding partnership between the Athletics Federation of India and Reliance Foundation.”
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