The Indian Open Throws Meet at the Netaji Subhas National Institute of Sports produced a series of standout performances across age categories, with several athletes registering personal bests and breakthrough marks.
From emerging junior talents to experienced throwers making strong comebacks, the meet highlighted the growing depth in Indian throwing events.
Sanjana Reddy Opens Competition with Lifetime Best
The opening event of the meet saw M Reddy Sanjana deliver an impressive performance in the U-18 women’s shot put, claiming the gold medal with a lifetime best throw of 15.30m.
The young athlete from Mysore showed remarkable improvement, surpassing her previous personal best of 12.84m achieved last year. The jump of 2.46 metres reflects significant progress in her development and signals her potential as one of the promising names in India’s junior throws circuit.
Interestingly, the event witnessed limited participation. Only three athletes had originally entered the competition, but eventually just two took part. Aarti of Haryana finished second with a throw of 13.22m, securing the silver medal. Despite the small field, Sanjana’s performance stood out for its quality, setting the tone for a competition that would go on to feature several notable results.
Sanjana Chaudhary Dominates Women’s Javelin
The women’s javelin throw turned into a compelling contest, with Sanjana Chaudhary delivering a decisive performance. Chaudhary took the lead early in the competition with a throw of 54.20m on her very first attempt. That effort ultimately proved unbeatable as the field struggled to match the distance.
Her personal best remains 56.59m, achieved in 2022, but the 54.20m throw was strong enough to secure the gold medal in Patiala. Rising Indian throwers Deepika and Jyoti pushed hard in the later rounds, attempting to close the gap.
Deepika produced 52.88m on her fifth attempt, while Jyoti recorded 52.16m, but neither could surpass Chaudhary’s early leading mark.
Final standings:
- Sanjana Chaudhary – 54.20m (Gold)
- Deepika – 52.88m (Silver)
- Jyoti – 52.16m (Bronze)
Chaudhary’s victory once again highlighted the depth emerging in Indian women’s javelin throwing.
Tanya Chaudhary Continues Hammer Throw Dominance
Another strong performance came in the women’s hammer throw, where Tanya Chaudhary claimed gold with a throw of 61.09m. Earlier in January 2026, Chaudhary had produced a remarkable 65.60m throw at the All India Inter-University Athletics Championships, surpassing the current Indian national record of 65.25m set by Sarita Singh.
However, that performance cannot be officially recognised as a national record since the competition was not World Athletics certified. Nonetheless, the distance demonstrated Chaudhary’s ability to compete at the highest level in the event and she remains one of India’s strongest prospects in women’s hammer throw.
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In the men’s U-18 shot put, Nishchay delivered a commanding performance to secure gold with a throw of 19.78m. His victory came ahead of Yuvraj and Raihan Choudhary, both of whom recorded identical throws of 17.83m. The silver medal was awarded to Yuvraj due to a better second-best throw of 17.40m.
After the event, Nishchay expressed his ambitions clearly, stating that his main focus this year is the World Athletics U20 Championships, where he aims to win the gold medal.
Perhaps the most exciting performance of the day came in the men’s hammer throw, where Damneet Singh produced a sensational series. Damneet threw 70.64m on his second attempt, narrowly missing the Indian national record of 70.73m set by Neeraj Kumar in 2016 by just nine centimetres.
Remarkably, the throw was only the beginning of a stunning series. Damneet followed it up with 70.21m on his third attempt and 70.04m on his fifth attempt, crossing the 70m mark three times in the same competition.
Before this meet, Damneet had never breached the 70m barrier in the senior circuit, making the achievement even more significant. He also surpassed the Asian Games qualification mark of 69.12m, making it a memorable day in his career.
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The meet also witnessed several other personal best performances.
In the women’s U20 hammer throw, Khushi won gold with a throw of 49.45m, improving her previous personal best of 46.76m by 2.69 metres. Meanwhile, Nikita Kumari clinched gold in the women’s U20 discus throw with a lifetime best of 51.78m. Amanat, the U18 national champion, finished second with 51.13m, while Supriya Attri achieved a significant milestone by crossing the 50m mark for the first time, registering 50.09m.
Another inspiring performance came from Ashish Jakhar, the 2018 Asian U20 champion. Jakhar won silver with a lifetime best of 68.09m, improving his previous personal best of 67.64m set in 2018.
The achievement was particularly significant considering his challenging journey. After suffering a career-threatening injury and later serving a four-year doping ban, Jakhar returned to competition last year and continues to rebuild his career.
Toor Shows Signs of Return
India’s national record holder Tajinderpal Singh Toor also impressed during the meet. He won the men’s shot put with a throw of 20.51m, marking only his second outdoor throw beyond 20 metres in the last two and a half years.
Earlier this season, Toor had also secured silver at the Asian Indoor Championships with 20.05m, suggesting he is gradually returning to peak form. Meanwhile, Samardeep Gill, who had impressed last year, struggled and finished 11th with 16.88m, continuing a difficult start to the 2026 season.
Promising Signs for Indian Throws
Overall, the Indian Open Throws meet in Patiala offered an encouraging glimpse into the future of Indian athletics.With multiple personal bests, breakthrough performances, and strong showings from both junior and senior athletes, the event highlighted the growing strength of India’s throwing disciplines.
As the season progresses toward major international competitions, many of these athletes will aim to build on these performances and push Indian throwing standards even further.
