Javelin thrower Rishab Nehra joins 80m club at National Open Athletics C'ships

Uttar Pradesh’s 25-year-old javelin sensation Rishab Nehra made headlines on the final day of the 64th National Open Athletics Championships at Ranchi’s Birsa Munda Stadium, joining the prestigious 80m club with a winning throw of 80.12 meters.

The feat, achieved in his third attempt, surpassed his previous personal best of 77.38m and proved unmatched by fellow competitors.

“The domestic javelin throw in the men’s group is very competitive. I’m proud to have joined the 80m club today,” an elated Nehra told the media.

Despite a challenging season marked by injuries and missed domestic events, Nehra’s determination culminated in this standout performance.

“Joining the 80m club has given a big boost to my confidence. With this achievement, 2026 is shaping up to be even more exciting,” he added.

In women’s action, Asian medallist Pooja dominated the 800m, while Men’s 100m champion Manikanta Hoblidhar of SSCB and Pooja were named the best male and female athletes, respectively.

Team honors went to SSCB, winning the men’s team trophy with 152 points, while Railways secured the women’s trophy with 175 points and also topped the overall team championship with 274 points.

The final day of the championships also featured strong performances across other track and field events. In the men’s 200m, Sandeep Singh (SSCB) won in 20.95s, followed by Abhin Devadiga (Railway Sports, 21.20s).

The men’s 800m gold went to Prakash Gadade (SSCB, 1:50.01), and Ruchit Mori (Gujarat) claimed the 400m hurdles in 50.47s.

In the men’s 3,000m steeplechase, Vikram Singh (SSCB) finished first, while the triple jump gold was taken by Dinesh V (Tamil Nadu, 16.27m).

Among women, Sakshi Chavan (Gujarat) won the 200m in 23.78s, and Lili Das (Railway Sports) followed Pooja in the 800m.

In field events, Divya Shandilya (Odisha) and Manpreet Kaur (Punjab) completed the hammer throw podium behind Tanya Chaudhary, while Bhavani Yadav (Railway Sports) took the long jump with 6.13m.

The women’s 4x400m relay concluded the day with Railway Sports finishing first in 3:39.28, ahead of Punjab and Karnataka.

The championships witnessed fierce competition across all events, highlighting India’s growing talent pool in athletics and setting the stage for an exciting upcoming season.