World Athletics Championships: With other Indian pretenders struggling, javelin thrower Sachin Yadav keen to back Neeraj Chopra up

Sachin isn’t getting carried away by this new big-brother role. Living in the shadow of a world champion, there is a long way to go for him.

“I am not even 10 percent of what Neeraj (Chopra) bhai is. He taught India what javelin throw is. He has made history. I only hope that one day I can also make India proud,” Sachin says.

However, there are great expectations of the 25-year-old Sachin, six-foot five-inch tall, reaching lofty heights.

Since Neeraj’s amazing rise in the event, over half a dozen Indian throwers have shown fleeting promise by crossing the 80-metre mark but none have been able to match his consistency or come close to bagging big medals. Kishore Kumar Jena threatened to steal Neeraj’s thunder at the 2022 Asian Games but settled for silver, before an ankle injury pegged him back. DP Manu, a finalist at the 2023 World Championships, is currently serving a doping ban, and Shivpal Singh, an Asian Championship silver medalist, has also failed a drug test. The rest have only shone intermittently. But Sachin provides hope.

At the Asian Championships in Gumi (South Korea) in May, Sachin proved he can overcome odds even when not at his best. He didn’t cross the 80-metre mark in the first four throws, his body had tightened up, he was slow on the runway and unable to get any power into the throws.

Turnaround

Olympic champion Arshad Nadeem had launched the spear to 85.57 metres in the third round to take the lead, while Sri Lanka’s rising star Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage had registered 82.28 metres. But Sachin didn’t wilt under pressure.

Before his fifth throw, Sachin sought assistance from compatriot Yash Vir Singh. A quick rubdown took care of the taut muscles. Throws of 83.06m and 85.16m followed as Sachin eventually took the silver behind Nadeem.

“You learn from every competition. At the Asian Championships, I was slow on the runway, my cross-steps weren’t smooth either, and my muscles were tight during the first few throws. But I understood what I had to do. Yash Vir helped me relax my muscles. The Olympic champion was in the competition so it was a learning experience. I was happy with my Asian Championship performance because it was a personal best though I had 87m as my target,” the Indian says.

There have been other triumph-over-adversity instances in Sachin’s career. At the National Games in Uttarakhand, he twisted his ankle after the first throw. But he didn’t pay heed to the pain, taped his ankle, changed his spikes, and won the competition by setting a meet record.

At the Neeraj Chopra Classic, another ankle twist was a first-round setback. But he used a pain relieving spray and finished fourth with 82.33 metres in the third round.

“At that time, because of the rush of the competition, you don’t realise the level of the pain. I just put Moov and continued. Later when the body cools down, you realise the intensity of the pain. There was swelling on the ankle of the blocking leg,” Sachin recalls.

The NC Classic gave him an opportunity to interact with some of the world’s best throwers like Julius Yego and Thomas Rohler and get time with Neeraj.

“I was able to talk to these top throwers. They told me to be patient and not to judge myself by the results of one competition. I spoke to Neeraj for a bit. He told me that as long as I stay injury-free, I have the potential for big throws. He said that I could call him anytime if I wanted to discuss anything.”

Local cricket star

Till the age of 19, Sachin dabbled in cricket, and was a local league star whose career was not going anywhere. His fortunes changed when javelin coach Sandeep Yadav spotted him bowling. With his height and quick arm-speed, Sandeep felt Sachin was made for throwing the spear. He started off with a bamboo javelin and his first measured throw was 57m. Sandeep convinced Sachin that he was really good.

“I knew I had a fast arm when I released the ball, both tennis and leather. I used to think that in cricket, there is a lot of money and fame. But there are a lot of cricketers like me. In cricket, if one person doesn’t do well, another can step up for the team. In javelin, I like the fact that I am not dependent on anyone else and control my destiny,” Sachin says.

Nowadays, Sachin hardly watches cricket. When in front of a screen, he mines YouTube for videos of Neeraj and his current coach Jan Zelezny, the world record holder, hoping to emulate their technique.

“My runway speed and rhythm is not great, so I am focusing on that and the cross-step phase. Small things can make a difference. If one thing clicks, the javelin can go four-to five metres more and if it does not, it can come down by four to five metres.”

To tap his full potential, Athletics Federation of India officials (AFI) hope Sachin agrees to train with Sergey Makarov, the Russian-born coach joining after the World Championships. Talks are ongoing with his current coach Dhronacharya awardee Naval Singh to make the transition a smooth affair. AFI officials talk about Sachin crossing the 90-metre mark in practice.

“I threw 90m in December before the ankle injury. I have done it three times in practice at the (Delhi’s) Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium. But there is no comparison between a practice session and a World Championships. The big throws should come in major championships, like in Neeraj’s case. I hope I return from the World Championships with my confidence high.”