India’s young athletics team produced another great performance at the World Athletics U20 Championships in Eugene, USA, with Mohammed Ashfaq breaking the national U20 record in the men’s 400 metres and qualifying for the semi-finals. On a day where Amanat Kamboj also won a lifetime best in the women’s discus throw final, Indian athletes are showing their ability to compete on the global junior stage.
The 19-year-old Ashfaq produced the race of his career in the opening round of the men's 400m event. In Heat 5 he ran a record 45.81 seconds and finished second to American runner Jayden DeLeon in 45.63 seconds. Ashfaq's timing was fourth among all qualifiers and secured him a place in the semi-finals.
What was even more remarkable was that Ashfaq also improved on his own Indian U20 national record in April 2023. In April, he became the national record-holder in the U20s with a 46.05 seconds time. By lowering that mark to 45.81 seconds he became the first Indian U20 athlete to run below 46 seconds, which is a significant achievement for Indian sprinting.
Ashfaq’s rapid progress over the past few months is a testament to the work by him and how he has improved consistently through training and global exposure. Although he was running against some of the world’s best junior athletes, he maintained a relatively steady pace through the last bend and finished strong and was able to qualify automatically for the next round. His performance has also furthered hope for a faster run in the semifinals.
But his fellow Indian sprinter Piyush Raj was not able to get through the heats. Piyush was fifth in Heat 6 with a time of 47.78 seconds, and he finished 35th out of 60. Although he was not able to qualify for the World Athletics U20 Championships he got valuable international experience and will do well in the future.
India also got good field event performance from Amanat Kamboj in the women's discus throw final. The 18-year-old threw 53.24 metres in the first round to set a new personal best. It was enough to finish sixth in an incredibly close final in which some of the world's best young throwers were involved.
Kamboj was narrowly short of a podium place, but her performance shows her continuing progress in Indian athletics. A lifetime best at a global championship is such a big deal and her performance in the final match showed that she can handle pressure. Being among the top six in the world at the junior level will bring confidence to her when she goes to international competitions.
Women's discus throw was dominated by Su Yixin from China winning the gold medal with a throw of 61.06 metres. Jaslene Massey of the United States took the silver medal after 58.41 metres while Marina Hadjicosta of Cyprus received the bronze medal with a throw of 54.88 metres. Although Kamboj competed against athletes that reached the 54-metre mark, her personal best performance gave her a decent place in the world championship.
The performances by Ashfaq and Kamboj show the progress made in Indian athletics at the junior level in recent years. With a lot of local coaching and scientific training, as well as the growth opportunities in the world that have been made with the investment made in India in the development of our youth athletes in the grassroots and coaching, they are now able to break national records and compete with world class athletes.
Ashfaq's qualification for the semifinals also keeps India’s hopes alive in one of track athletics' most competitive sprint events. He’ll have to perform well in the next round and he will come back strong again in the next round and could secure a place in the final. Such an accomplishment would further define him as one of India’s brightest sprinting prospects going forward into the senior competition.
MOHAMMED ASHFAQ BREAKS U20 NATIONAL RECORD & QUALIFIES INTO FINALS! 🤩
— The Khel India (@TheKhelIndia) August 7, 2026
India’s Ashfaq clocked 45.81s in the Heats & 46.00 in Semi Finals to Qualify for Men’s 400m Finals at U20 World Athletics C’ship!
Incredible Stuff!!!! 🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/IpFcOqQxTw
However, Amanat Kamboj’s sixth place is another encouraging sign for India’s field events programme. Her personal best on one of the biggest junior stages shows she has a lot of room to grow and could be a regular competitor in major continental and international championships in the future.
As the World Athletics U20 Championships go on in Eugene, India’s young athletes have once more demonstrated that they have the ability, the grit and the toughness to compete with the best of the world. Mohammed Ashfaq’s record-setting sprint and Amanat Kamboj’s career-best discus throw were the highlights of India’s campaign; the future of Indian athletics on the global stage.
