Now Reading: Injuries, lack of practice cost gold at U20 Worlds, say medallists
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Injuries, lack of practice cost gold at U20 Worlds, say medallists
Indian medallists from the World Athletics Under-20 Championships in Oregon blamed injuries and inadequate preparation for falling short of gold. Silver-winning javelin thrower Ashish Yadav (74.09m) said he was in rehab for…
The Story in Brief
Indian medallists from the World Athletics Under-20 Championships in Oregon blamed injuries and inadequate preparation for falling short of gold. Silver-winning javelin thrower Ashish Yadav (74.09m) said he was in rehab for a knee and hamstring injury and could not train before the event. High jumper Basant Meghwal, who matched his 2.21m personal best but lost gold on countback, pointed to ankle pain after his second attempt.
Long jumper Shahnavaz Khan, who took bronze at 7.84m, said cramps prevented him from improving in his final jumps. All three expressed confidence about the Asian Games, where Shahnavaz has already qualified. Their medals came despite a low-key build-up and limited international exposure, The Hindu reports.
The Indian Opinion
It is easy to call these complaints excuses, but young athletes competing at world level often face injury risks that could be managed better with targeted support. The 'gold only' mindset is understandable, yet three medals at a global meet is no small feat. The real test will come at the Asian Games: will these athletes get uninterrupted preparation, or will the same rehab-vs-competition cycle repeat itself? That answer will show whether the system learns or just celebrates near misses.
Source: thehindu.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
