Sachin Yadav decided to quit fast bowling and start practicing javelin at the age of 19. His family in Khekada village, in Baghpat district of Uttar Pradesh, became worried. The reason was simple. Cricket was a far more attractive option to build a career compared to track and field. Still, Sachin’s father, Naresh Yadav, respected his son’s decision and even borrowed money to buy him a pair of javelin spikes.

That was six years ago. On Thursday evening, Sachin, now 25, narrowly missed out on a podium finish, coming fourth at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo. He outperformed several renowned javelin throwers, including defending champion Neeraj Chopra and Olympian Arshad Nadeem from Pakistan.

Chopra, who finished eighth, had a rare off day – this was the first time in seven years that he didn’t finish in the top-three at a competition; he has complained of a “back problem”.

But Sachin, who is all of 6 feet 5 inches, brought cheer to the Indian contingent, holding his nerve for a personal best of 86.27 meters in the first round. Having shown incredible consistency, Sachin’s scores in three attempts were 85.71 meters, 84.90 meters, and 85.96 meters.

The high-quality final had some surprises. The unlikely winner was 2012 Olympic gold medalist Keshorn Walcott from Trinidad and Tobago, while former two-time world champion Anderson Peters of Grenada won the silver. The United States got its first podium finish in nearly two decades as Curtis Thompson took the bronze.

Before the final, his coach, Naval Singh, a Dronacharya awardee, advised him not to get overwhelmed by the occasion. “I reminded him that he has the power as well as the technique to produce a big throw. My target for him was 90 metres today. He has thrown 90 metres in practice. But though he fell short in the final, he proved that he can handle the pressure of the World Championships,” he said.

Before he traveled to Tokyo, Sachin knew he would have to face some of the giants in his event. He revealed while speaking to The Indian Express, “I am not even 10 percent of what Neeraj (Chopra) bhai is. He taught India what javelin-throwing is. He has made history. I only hope that one day I can also make India proud,”