EXCLUSIVE | ‘Olympics sapna hai’: Yashvir Singh after ticking off Asian Games and CWG medal boxes

India’s Yashvir Singh celebrates winning the silver medal in the men’s javelin final at the Asian Games. (AP photo) NEW DELHI: The last over has become familiar territory for Yashvir Singh.At the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow earlier this year, Yashvir scored a stunning 85.41m with his final throw to win bronze.Asian Games full coverage | Schedule | Medal totalOn Monday at the Nagoya City Mizuho Park Athletics Stadium in Japan, he again waited for his final attempt with a medal already within reach.Yashvir was a silver medalist after five attempts and his best throw was 85.14m. He needed more than 88.55m to overtake Sri Lanka’s Rumesh Pathirage to win the gold.

Another final throw

The pressure was palpable. The result was different.Yashvir ran up, stretched out his arm and started the last effort. The javelin went 85.72m – a personal best – but it was not enough to get past Pathirage.He walked back smiling and exchanged high fives with compatriot Rohit Yadav, who won the bronze.“The situation was the same in both the events (laughs). Both times I got stuck on the last throw. This time the medal was guaranteed. That throw won me the medal. Both times it was a very nerve-wracking situation. It was a do-or-die situation. I decided it was now or never,” Yashvir told TimesofIndia.com in an exclusive interview from Japan.

“The grip slide is still there”

Yashvir felt the conditions added to the challenge.“The pressure was there. The throws were coming out well, but I was hoping to make an even better throw. However, the weather conditions were not good and my grip was slipping, which made things difficult. There were also some technical flaws,” he said.“There was also a slight difference in technique. I worked on the mistakes I made in the throws but still I made a few mistakes today. I will focus on them going forward,” said Yashvir.

The main medals in a row

Yashvir and Rohit carried India’s javelin hopes in the absence of reigning champion and two-time Olympic medalist Neeraj Chopra, who pulled out of the Asian Games after suffering a late ligament injury.For Yashvir, silver after bronze in Glasgow meant back-to-back medals at major international events.“First I won a medal in Glasgow and now I have won silver. I am very happy for this. Neeraj bhaiya supported me a lot. The whole country, my father and my whole family supported me. I am here because of them,” he said.

“Olympics is a dream”

The next goal is already clear.“Olympics sapna hai (Olympics is a dream). It is everyone’s dream and it is mine too. I want to correct my mistakes as soon as possible. I will try to correct my mistakes, keep improving and perform even better next time. I will give my best going forward,” he said.