Sarita singh

State Senior Athletics Championships: Teenager Anushka Yadav stole the spotlight on the opening day of the 56th National Inter-State Senior Athletics Championships 2026 in Bhubaneswar, shattering the women's hammer throw national record and securing qualification for the 2026 Asian Games with a sensational performance at the Kalinga Stadium on Wednesday.

The 18-year-old produced a series of impressive throws. She started with 62.07m, easily surpassing the Asian Games qualifying mark of 61.72m. She then improved to 65.64m before achieving the best throw of her career on her final attempt, sending the hammer to 67.02m.

This effort broke the long-standing national record of 65.25m set by Sarita Singh nine years ago and made Anushka the new national record holder for India. Her remarkable performance also highlighted her as one of the nation's most exciting young talents in field events.