Background
Anushka Yadav comes from Baleni village in Baghpat district, Uttar Pradesh, and grew up in a farming family. Her father, Sushil Yadav, had competed in hammer throw at school level. Although he did not pursue a full sporting career, he later helped guide his daughter's development in the event.
Breaking the National Record at 18
On 24 June 2026, Anushka Yadav hammer throw became one of the defining stories of the National Inter-State Senior Athletics Championships in Bhubaneswar. The 18-year-old from Uttar Pradesh produced a throw of 67.02m to win the women's hammer throw and establish a new Indian national record. Her performance also secured qualification for the Asian Games.
Current Season
The 2026 season took off spectacularly at the National Inter-State Championships in Bhubaneswar, where she threw 67.02m in the hammer throw to break the national record and qualify for the Asian Games. She later finished second at the Indian Athletics Final Series in New Delhi with 66.34m, behind Tanya Chaudhary’s national-record throw. The teenager is now preparing for her Asian Games debut in the women’s hammer throw in September.
In their own words
“My first choice was running. But when Papa said that I have to do the hammer throw, I did so. Not many people know hammer throw in India, but everybody knows javelin because of Neeraj bhaiya. I want people to know hammer throw just like javelin throw.” — Anushka Yadav, speaking to NNIS Sports, June 2026.
