Ace athlete Arjun won a silver medal in Javelin throw at the 4th Asian Youth Athletics Championship 2022 in Kuwait after a stellar performance at the national level. He threw the javelin a distance of 70.98 metres.
Arjun is a Class 9 student at Modern Public School, Shalimar Bagh in Delhi. In the under-18 boys’ javelin throw category, the 15-year-old athlete is currently ranked first in India, third in Asia, and tenth in the world.
Aim to compete in Asian Games
For the past two years, he has been preparing to compete in the Asian Games. Arjun’s outstanding performance at the 17th National Youth Athletics Championship 2022 earned him a gold medal and confirmed his place in the Indian squad for the 4th AYAC.
Arjun’s father is a Delhi sweet vendor, and his mother is a housewife. He claims that his father was a Discus Throw athlete who inspired Arjun to participate in sports. Arjun’s parents have always encouraged him in both academics and sports, and he aspires to compete on an international level.
“I have been practicing Javelin throw for the last four years and my coach Raman Jha has helped me a lot in my training and has pushed me to my best of capabilities,” said Arjun.
While Arjun wishes for government assistance in getting better training, he claims that his school is the sole reason for his success thus far. He is permitted to train in the school playground during school hours, but he is not permitted to train elsewhere. The school also provided him with training equipment.
When asked about how he prepared himself for the championship, he told, “I spent at least three to four hours every day during school hours on the ground and some days even practiced after school hours. My classes were compensated accordingly so I was able to manage sports and studies together.”
Talking about his future plans Arjun said he looks up to Olympic gold medallist Neeraj Chopra and wants to represent his country in Olympics one day.
The 4th AYAC, which concluded on October 16th in Kuwait, was attended by 30 Asian countries. India won the most medals during the four-day championship, with six gold, eleven silver, and seven bronze. The Indian squad consisted of 35 people. With six gold, one silver, and two bronze medals, the Chinese Taipei team is the first runner-up.
