Shilpa Kumari javelin thrower, Gumla, Jharkhand, India, aims for Olympic glory; Record not officially recognised by AFI

Inspired by Neeraj Chopra, teenager Shilpa Kumari looks to follow in idol’s footsteps in bid for Olympic glory

Shilpa hails from a family of farmers and is the current national record holder in U17 women’s javelin category.

When two-time Olympic medallist Neeraj Chopra hurled the javelin beyond the 87-metre line at Tokyo 2020 , he didn’t just win the gold medal, but also sparked a revolution in Indian athletics with a plethora of javelin talents breaking out onto the global stage.

While the likes of Commonwealth Games 2026 bronze medallist Yash Vir Singh and Rohit Yadav have come up among the men, the women’s section has lacked a big star - until now, that is.

Hailing from a remote village in the tribal district of Gumla in Jharkhand, Shilpa Kumari - the current national record holder in the women’s U17 category - has emerged as the next big hope in women’s javelin throw in India.

For Shilpa, watching Neeraj Chopra’s Olympic exploits live on television along with her neighbours at her village ‘chaupal’ was a life changing experience.

“I watched Neeraj Chopra win gold at the Olympics. That inspired me to take up javelin. I want to emulate Neeraj sir and win an Olympic medal,” Shilpa told SAI Media.

“As I watched the people in my village celebrate Neeraj Chopra’s triumph, I decided that winning an Olympic medal in javelin will be the target of my life from then on.”

It was an athletics trial at the Sports Authority of India (SAI) centre in Ranchi which eventually fuelled that Olympic dream.

Shilpa’s coach Binod Singh vividly remembers the day he discovered what he termed as the “brightest emerging women’s javelin star in India.”

“When I first spotted her three years ago during a trial at our SAI centre, I was impressed by her sheer natural talent. At that time, she was a total novice. But I selected her due to the fact that she displayed an extremely strong throwing ability. I could see the potential and realised that she was a very good prospect for the future,” Binod Singh recalled.

“Once I inducted her into training at the SAI centre in Ranchi, Shilpa showed excellent progress. She quickly improved and is now the brightest upcoming prospect for India in women’s javelin,” he added.

“Her parents are farmers and do not have the means to provide the required support for Shilpa’s sports career. It is the facilities, training, equipment, diet etc. provided by SAI which has helped me to transform an uncut gem into a shining diamond.”

The training bore fruit when Shilpa burst onto the limelight in 2025 when she set a new women’s U17 record with an effort of 55.62m at the 69th National School Games.

Shilpa’s throw of 55.62m is even better than India’s U18 national record of 55.19m, which was achieved by Deepika of Haryana in 2023.

However, this mark was not officially recognised by the Athletics Federation of India (AFI), as the competition is not officially sanctioned by World Athletics - the sport’s global governing body.

The teenager’s official personal best was registered at the 2025 Junior Nationals, where she finished fifth with a best throw of 45.90m - an improvement of nearly 10 metres.

“As an athlete, my only focus is to do my best. If the federation has not officially registered my throw, I will try to produce an even better attempt at my next official competition,” Shilpa said.

Meanwhile, Binod Singh is confident that his ward will continue to create waves when she reaches the senior level.

“Shilpa is not concerned whether her best throw is officially recognised or not. We know what she can do. She will achieve that mark again,” he said.

For now, Shilpa is focussed on the Summer Youth Olympics which is scheduled to take place in Dakar, Senegal from October 31 to November 13.

“My first goal right now is to finish on the podium at the Youth Olympics. But my ultimate goal is an Olympic medal,” the teenager said.

“I will dedicate my Olympic medal to Neeraj sir.”

Picture by Sports Authority of India

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