Varun Bhambhu, 13, smashes U14 javelin national record with 71.20m
By Aarav DeshpandeSports Correspondent, Peepals Yuva
Representative image: tinabold / Pixabay
Haryana's 13-year-old Varun Bhambhu threw 71.20m at the junior nationals in Chennai on October 25, 2026, beating the U14 javelin record of 60.65m.
What Happened
Varun Bhambhu, a 13-year-old from Haryana, set a new national record in the boys' under-14 javelin throw with 71.20 metres at the 41st National Junior Athletics Championships in Chennai on Sunday, October 25, 2026. The throw beat the previous national mark of 60.65 metres by more than 10 metres. Uttar Pradesh's Vinay Baaniya took second place with 62.17 metres and Bihar's Rahul Kumar was third with 58.55 metres.
Key Facts
- Athlete: Varun Bhambhu, 13, from Haryana.
- Event: boys' under-14 javelin throw, using a turbo javelin, a lighter training implement used in junior athletics to build technique.
- Winning mark: 71.20 metres, a new national record; the old record was 60.65 metres.
- Second: Vinay Baaniya (Uttar Pradesh), 62.17 metres; third: Rahul Kumar (Bihar), 58.55 metres.
- Venue and dates: the 41st National Junior Athletics Championships, held in Chennai from October 23 to 27, 2026.
- Other national records at the same meet: Telangana's Lodenge Ramu in the men's under-18 400 metres (46.80 seconds), Tamil Nadu's Tharanesh C in the boys' under-16 shot put (17.86 metres), Rajasthan's Chuki Birda in the women's under-20 pole vault (3.91 metres), and Neil Samraj, who improved his own boys' under-18 100 metres record to 10.45 seconds.
Why It Matters
A national record at 13 is rare, and the size of the margin is what stands out. Records in age-group athletics usually fall by centimetres. Varun's throw added more than 10 metres to the under-14 mark and finished about nine metres clear of the next thrower in his own final. That kind of gap tends to draw attention from coaches and selectors who look for talent early.
The javelin has a special place in Indian athletics. Neeraj Chopra's Olympic gold at Tokyo 2020 made it one of the country's best-known track and field events, and Haryana, the home state of both Chopra and Varun, has become a centre of throwing talent. A new generation of throwers has followed, and senior internationals have been watching the junior ranks closely. Reports said several of India's leading javelin throwers praised Varun's throw.
It is also important to read the record in context. Under-14 athletes throw a turbo javelin, a lighter implement designed to teach the throwing action safely before young athletes move up to heavier, regulation javelins. A distance with a turbo javelin cannot be compared directly with senior marks. What it shows is technique, speed and power that are well ahead of his age group. The real test will come as he moves to heavier implements in the under-16 and under-18 categories.
| Record | Athlete | Mark |
|---|---|---|
| Boys' U14 javelin | Varun Bhambhu (Haryana) | 71.20 m (old record 60.65 m) |
| Men's U18 400 m | Lodenge Ramu (Telangana) | 46.80 s |
| Boys' U16 shot put | Tharanesh C (Tamil Nadu) | 17.86 m |
| Women's U20 pole vault | Chuki Birda (Rajasthan) | 3.91 m |
| Boys' U18 100 m | Neil Samraj | 10.45 s |
Impact
Short-term: Varun's record puts him on the radar of national coaches and state sports bodies, and the junior nationals in Chennai have produced a set of new marks across sprints, jumps and throws that will shape selections for age-group camps.
Long-term: Young throwers who show this level early need careful coaching to stay injury-free while they grow and move up to heavier implements. If that development goes well, Haryana's pipeline of javelin talent could widen further.
Who is affected: junior athletes and their coaches, state athletics associations, national selectors, and young people weighing athletics as a career path.
Key Takeaway
Haryana's 13-year-old Varun Bhambhu threw 71.20 metres in Chennai on October 25, 2026, beating the boys' under-14 national javelin record by more than 10 metres.
Questions and Answers
Who is Varun Bhambhu?
Varun Bhambhu is a 13-year-old javelin thrower from Haryana who set the boys' under-14 national record of 71.20 metres at the 41st National Junior Athletics Championships in Chennai on October 25, 2026.
What was the previous under-14 javelin record?
The previous national record was 60.65 metres, so Varun's throw improved it by 10.55 metres.
Is a 71-metre throw at 13 comparable to senior javelin results?
Not directly. Under-14 athletes use a turbo javelin, a lighter implement meant to teach technique, so the distance shows his talent in his age group rather than a senior-level mark.
Which other national records were set at the 2026 junior nationals?
Records also fell in the men's under-18 400 metres (Lodenge Ramu, 46.80 seconds), boys' under-16 shot put (Tharanesh C, 17.86 metres), women's under-20 pole vault (Chuki Birda, 3.91 metres) and boys' under-18 100 metres (Neil Samraj, 10.45 seconds).
Disclaimer: Prepared by the Peepals newsroom from publicly available sources with AI assistance. Information is accurate to the best of our knowledge at the time of publication and may change. Images may be representative. Not professional advice. Report an error via our contact page.
By Aarav Deshpande, Sports CorrespondentCovers Sports and more for Peepals Yuva. All stories by Aarav Deshpande
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Aarav Deshpande is a pen name of the Peepals Global Editorial Team, which researches, fact-checks and publishes every story. The portrait is an illustration.
