A breakthrough day for Damneet at the Indian Open Throws meet.
Before this competition, Damneet had never crossed the 70-metre mark in the senior circuit. But in a remarkable display of consistency, he achieved the milestone three times in a single competition.
His best throws of the day included:
70.64m – 2nd throw
70.21m – 3rd throw
70.04m – 5th throw
The performance also saw him breach the Asian Games qualification standard of 69.12 metres, capping off a memorable outing on the field.
A significant step forward for the Indian thrower as he builds momentum for the upcoming international season.
Rajasthan’s Nikita Kumari won gold in the women’s U20 discus throw, registering a lifetime best of 51.78m.
U18 national champion Amanat finished second, taking silver with a throw of 51.13m.
Supriya Attri, representing NCOE Patiala, won bronze with a huge personal best of 50.09m. It was the first time in her career that she breached the 50m mark, improving her previous best by nearly 2 metres.
Both Nikita and Amanat trained together during the off-season at the Anju Bobby George Academy in an OGQ-organised training camp under coach Paul Wilson.
The former Asian record holder and two-time Asian Games champion clinched gold in the men’s shot put, before sharing a heartwarming moment as he posed with his daughter after the victory.
Toor delivered a strong series, with all three of his valid attempts crossing the 20-metre mark — an encouraging sign as he builds momentum for the upcoming season.
Making the moment even more memorable, his family was present in the stands to witness the performance, including his newly born daughter — and the champion certainly did not disappoint.
The young thrower clinched the gold medal in the men’s U-18 javelin throw at the Indian Open Throws meet in Patiala with a personal best of 70.62 metres.
In a competitive field, only two athletes managed to breach the 70-metre mark. Vishal led the competition with his 70.62m effort, while Rajat Kumar followed closely with a 70.52m throw.
A strong performance from the young javelin thrower, highlighting the growing depth in India’s junior throwing events.
Nishchay delivered an outstanding performance at the Indian Open Throws in Patiala, dominating the U-18 throwing events.
On the second day of competition, Nishchay clinched gold in the men’s U-18 discus throw with a massive personal best of 63.90 metres.
The throw came agonizingly close to the long-standing national record of 64.09 metres, set by Arjun in 2010 — missing it by just 0.19 metres, less than 20 centimetres.
A day earlier, the young thrower had already secured gold in the men’s U-18 shot put with another personal best of 19.78 metres.
Two events, two victories, and two personal bests — an exceptional outing that signals the arrival of one of India’s most promising young throwers.
Sachin Yadav — Asian Championships medallist and World Championships finalist — was spotted watching the men’s javelin throw competition in Patiala.
Also present alongside him was India’s javelin coach Sergey Makarov.
Their presence comes just minutes before Shivam Lohakare is set to take the runway.
Notably, Lohakare has been training under Makarov for the past two months at New Delhi’s Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium — a preparation phase that now leads into his competition in Patiala.
Shivam Lohakare announced his arrival in style, becoming the first Indian to cross the 80-metre mark in 2026.
In his season opener, Lohakare produced a stunning throw of 81.08 metres on his very first attempt, immediately setting the tone for the year ahead.
The effort places him among the early global leaders this season, as he becomes only the fourth javelin thrower in the world to breach the 80m mark in 2026.
Importantly, the throw also comfortably surpasses the qualification standard for the Asian Games, marking a major milestone in his campaign.
A statement start to the season — and a name Indian athletics fans will be hearing a lot more of.
Remember the name: Shivam Lohakare.
Nishchay secured the top spot on the podium with a personal best throw of 19.78m. Following his victory, he stated that his primary goal for the year is to secure a gold medal at the U-20 World Championships.
- 1st Place: Nishchay – 19.78m
- 2nd Place: Yuvraj – 17.83m
- 3rd Place: Raihan Choudhary – 17.83m
The battle for the remaining medals was incredibly close, with Yuvraj and Raihan Choudhary recording identical best throws of 17.83m. Yuvraj was awarded the silver medal because his second-best throw of 17.40m outperformed Choudhary’s second-best attempt, relegating the latter to the bronze.
