After U-18 Asian glory, Neeraj Chopra fan Himanshu Jakhar eyes Khelo India Youth Games in Bihar

Himanshu, who hails from Salahawas village in the Jhajjar district of Haryana, clinched the yellow metal with a massive throw of 67.57 meters, much ahead of China's Lu Hao (63.45m) and Uzbekistan's Ruslan Sadullaev (61.96m). His father, Dalbir, and mother, Reena, are farmers, as per a Sports Authority of India (SAI) press release.

The 17-year-old Himanshu Jakhar picked up a javelin just five years back, training in his home village initially before shifting to the SAI Centre in Hissar. Talking to SAI Media from Saudi Arabia, Himanshu said that his next target is the Khelo India Youth Games in Bihar, scheduled from May 4 to 15.

"It has been a wonderful experience to be able to win gold for the country here. But it was a lot of hard work, along with my coaches, to reach this far. I have been training at the SAI Centre in Hisar under coach Arvind for the last 2-3 years and with better coaching, better equipment, better ground and gym, etc, I was able to make the country proud. My next target is now to attract the talent scouts at the Khelo India Youth Games and then Junior Nationals," Himanshu said.

"Khelo India is a great initiative of the Government of India, and a platform like this is essential for individuals in my age group to slowly make a contribution towards the nation," he added.

Himanshu, whose previous personal best in the 700 g javelin throw was 74.56 m, achieved at the National Junior Athletics Championships in December 2024, sees Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra as his inspiration.

"He (Neeraj Chopra) is an inspiration to not just me but the entire country. What he has achieved for India does not happen every day. What I like about him is his work ethic, dedication, and humility despite earning so much fame. I try to learn how he conducts himself during competitions, how he greets his competitors, and how he keeps himself so cool during pressure situations," Himanshu Jakhar said.