New Delhi: It’s been around ten days since Ajeet Singh Yadav returned from a six-month training stint in Germany. He is yet to get a feel of the freshly laid track at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium that will host the World Para Athletics Championships, but the 32-year-old javelin thrower is eager to put to practice his learnings from the high-performance centre in Offenburg.
The elite centre in the south-western German city is among the most sought after for javelin throwers in Europe and routinely hosts the top names. Double Olympic medallist Neeraj Chopra trained there in 2017, Yadav emphasises, while former world champion Johannes Vetter uses it as his training base.
“I have worked a lot on my technique, particularly my block. Earlier, my left leg (blocking leg) would collapse on impact, but I have worked on it. I hope all those sessions in Germany will bear fruit,” Yadav, silver medallist at the 2024 Paris Paralympics, said.
Yadav trained with Vetter and Max Dehning — the youngster threw 90.20m last year — and has come home wiser. “Vetter may not be at his best right now but I loved his mindset. I met Vetter almost on a daily basis and I had a few chats with him on the technical and mental side of the sport. One thing we can learn from the Germans is their long-term planning. They don’t plan for the near term but always look at the bigger picture, be it in talent identification or coaching,” he said.
“Also, the kind of technology they use to train is simply outstanding. I trained on a javelin-specific throwing machine to strengthen my shoulders and was able to hit good distances in training. I also trained with 900gm and 1kg javelins and heavy balls. There was a lot of video analysis as well. The sessions under coach Bernard Daniel were very productive and I was quite intrigued with the way they have incorporated sports science.”
{{/usCountry}}“Also, the kind of technology they use to train is simply outstanding. I trained on a javelin-specific throwing machine to strengthen my shoulders and was able to hit good distances in training. I also trained with 900gm and 1kg javelins and heavy balls. There was a lot of video analysis as well. The sessions under coach Bernard Daniel were very productive and I was quite intrigued with the way they have incorporated sports science.”
{{/usCountry}}Yadav’s academic inclination is no happenstance. He holds a doctorate in physical education and the topic of his voluminous thesis is ‘Biomechanical and physiological analysis of running gait of lower limb amputee athletes’. Hailing from the village of Nagla Bidhi in Uttar Pradesh’s Etawah, Yadav did his graduation and post graduation in physical education from Lakshmibai National Institute of Physical Education in Gwalior.
“As part of my course, I learned to play all sports, but javelin always fascinated me. I wanted to become a physical education professor or an academician and even cleared NET,” he said. However, Yadav’s plans, and life, changed in 2017 when he met with a near fatal train accident while trying to save his friend who had slipped while trying to board. In an instant, Yadav found himself caught between the platform and train. He miraculously survived, but sustained multiple fractures, and risked paralysis. His left arm had to be amputated.
“My life changed in an instant. I was in my mid-20s and a promising life lay ahead of me. All that ended in a flash. My friends and family saved me from slipping into depression,” he said.
But the man who truly helped Yadav reshape his life was mentor and coach VK Dabas, who encouraged him to take up para javelin in F46 category, which is meant for athletes with arm impairment. Four months after his surgery, Yadav competed at the National Para Athletics Championship in Panchkula, finishing fourth.
“That was a great confidence booster. I was still coming to terms with my condition, let alone have the necessary technique to succeed,” he recalled. The next year, he won the World Para Grand Prix in Beijing and a bronze at the World Para Athletics Championships in Dubai to kickstart his international career. A World Championships gold in 2023 and a Paralympics silver in 2024 established him as India’s premier F46 thrower after Devendra Jhajharia, the three-time Paralympics medallist, decided to move on and take up administrative duties. Jhajharia is currently the president of the Paralympic Committee of India.
Having medalled in all major events – Asian Para Games, Paralympics, World Championships and Grand Prix – Yadav has kept his expectations in check for the home event.
“The pressure will be on. Most of us are not used to playing in front of huge crowds at home, so that will be a challenge. I will try my best to not let the pressure get to me. The only expectation is to better my personal best of 65.62m,” he said.
“The key to succeed at this level is mental strength. I look up to Virat Kohli for his mindset and MS Dhoni for his temperament. There’s a lot we can learn from our cricket team, actually. Look at the depth of the senior side, we could have fielded two high-quality teams at the Asia Cup,” said Yadav, an avid cricket fan.