Shivam Lohakare Wins Men’s Javelin Throw Gold

Young javelin thrower Shivam Lohakare clinched the men’s javelin throw gold on the final day of the fifth Indian Open Throws Competition held at the National Institute of Sports (NIS) here on Sunday.

Lohakare secured the top spot with a throw of 81.08 metres , which came in his opening attempt. Interestingly, the winning mark came early in the competition as he did not register a valid mark in his remaining five attempts. Despite that, the first throw proved enough to keep him ahead of the field.

The competition drew attention as two promising athletes Lohakare and Anand Singh emerged as the main contenders in the event. Representing the Services Sports Control Board (SSCB) , Anand finished second with a best throw of 76.94m , earning the silver medal.

Odisha’s experienced javelin thrower and Asian Games medallist Kishore Kumar Jena claimed the bronze with a throw of 74.75m . Jena, who had taken a temporary break from competition last season due to a nagging ankle injury , expressed satisfaction at returning to the podium.

“I’m working to regain my lost form ,” said the Asian Games silver medallist. “This season is important for me and I hope to stay healthy and qualify for the Asian Games in September .”

Meanwhile, in the U-18 discus throw (1.5kg) event, young athlete Nishchay came close to breaking a long-standing national record. He registered a best effort of 63.90m , narrowly missing the national record of 64.09m set by Arjun in Coimbatore in 2010 .

The performance, however, underlined the promising talent emerging in the junior athletics circuit, even as Lohakare’s early winning throw highlighted his growing stature in the men’s javelin event at the national level.