Teen Anushka Yadav sets National Open hammer throw meet record of 66.53m

Eighteen-year-old Anushka Yadav won the women's hammer throw at the 65th National Open Athletics Championships at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi on Saturday, October 10, 2026, and set a new meet record of 66.53 metres. Her throw beat the previous championship record of 64.42 metres, which had stood in the name of Manju Bala for about five years. Anushka took the lead with her very first attempt and was never headed. Punjab's Haqikat Grewal finished a distant second with 56.14 metres, and Kulvinder of the Railways was third with 55.22 metres.

The hammer throw has rarely been in the spotlight in India, where javelin has grabbed most of the attention among throwing events in recent years. Anushka's rise is changing that. Earlier this season, still a teenager, she broke the women's national record with 67.02 metres. A few weeks later, at the Indian Athletics Series final, Tanya Chaudhary threw 68.35 metres to take the record, with Anushka second at 66.34 metres. That back-and-forth between two young throwers has given the event a genuine rivalry for the first time in years.

Saturday's performance stood out for its consistency. All five of her valid throws went beyond 62 metres, and four of them were longer than the old meet record. The winning margin of more than ten metres over the rest of the field shows how far ahead of the domestic pack the leading throwers have moved.

For young athletes, the National Open is an important stage. It is one of the last major meets of the Indian season, and strong marks here count when federations and selectors plan camps, foreign exposure and funding for the following year. An 18-year-old who can regularly throw around 66 to 67 metres has years of improvement ahead in an event where throwers often peak in their late twenties.

Her result also shows teenagers competing with, and beating, senior throwers at national level. That gives coaches and parents a fresh, concrete example of the career path open to young athletes in less glamorous disciplines.

Short-term: The meet record strengthens Anushka's standing at the top of Indian women's hammer throwing at the end of the season and adds to her case for support and international competition next year.

Long-term: A sustained rivalry between young throwers such as Anushka and Tanya Chaudhary could push Indian women's hammer marks closer to the levels needed for medals at the Asian level and beyond.

Who is affected: Young athletes and coaches in throwing events, the Athletics Federation of India and selectors, and sports fans following India's emerging track-and-field talent.

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