An unusually large crowd — cheering, clapping and whistling — greeted the finalists in the under-20 men’s javelin as the curtain came down on the 41st National junior athletics championships at the Nehru Stadium in Chennai on Tuesday (October 27, 2026). Among them — a youngster from Thanjavur.

A purposeful sprint down the runway, followed by a clean release, saw Dharanidharan open with a throw of 75.34m.

However, second time’s the charm. A huge roar just before his run-up, followed by a powerful sprint and a clean release, saw the spear sail through the air before landing at 76.18m. The crowd erupted, for Dharanidharan had just produced the throw that would fetch him gold.

He followed it with another effort of 75.37m, making it three successive throws beyond 75m.

Despite winning gold, Dharanidharan had hoped for more. He had come with a target of 80m and was disappointed at not being able to achieve it.

“My aim and goal were different. I really thought I would breach 80m,” said the second-year student at Loyola College, who hails from Papanadu in Thanjavur district.

Valuable experience

Having finished sixth at the World U-20 Championships in Eugene, USA, in August, the youngster said the experience of competing against some of the best athletes had helped him improve.

“There were world-class athletes there, and I learned a lot from them,” he said.

Interestingly, Dharanidharan began his journey with the pole vault in Class IX before financial difficulties forced him to switch to javelin the following year.

His coach Manikandan, who trains him in Thanjavur, was pleased with his progress.

“We were aiming for 78 to 80 metres. I was confident he could throw 78m at least. He has improved by around three metres in two months, and that is purely because of his hard work and changes to his technique,” said Manikandan.

The coach also felt that improving his strength and power would be crucial as Dharanidharan looks to take the next step.

For Dharanidharan, though, the focus is on the upcoming season, when he hopes to breach the 80m mark and perhaps even rewrite the record books.