Neeraj Chopra Classic: Sahil Silwal aims for resurgence, eyes World Championships qualification mark
Sahil Silwal was once among the most promising discus throwers in the country. In 2016, he struck gold at the National Junior Championships (under-16), and just months later, he claimed silver at the 2017 Asian Youth Athletics Championships with a 54.58m throw.
But in late 2017, urged by his coaches, Sahil made a bold switch from discus to javelin. It took him down a path of great promises and bitter disappointments. But now, it has landed him at the crossroads of a potential resurgence.
On Saturday, Sahil will be a part of the 12-member field at the Neeraj Chopra Classic in Bengaluru, the most high-profile athletics event to happen in India.
And it all started nearly eight years ago, when Sahil threw the javelin ‘for fun’.
“I was at the national camp in Patiala towards the end of 2017. After training, I was just throwing the javelin for fun. But javelin coach Uwe Hohn spotted me and told me, ‘You can try javelin. You are throwing very nicely.’
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National coach Bahadur Singh was involved as the federation helped me to switch to the javelin. They believed in me. They told me if you want to switch to javelin, then you can, and we will stand with you,” says Sahil.
The Haryana-born athlete, a southpaw, took to the javelin like a fish to water. By April 2018, he was the national junior champion, with a 74.05m throw. Three months later, he came within inches of medalling at the World U-20 championship, finishing fourth.
Sahil closed off his rookie year by breaching the 75m mark at the Indian Open Championships in Bhubaneshwar, finishing third.
But his trajectory was soon cut short by a spate of ill-timed injuries, ranging from regular strains to a freak finger fracture.
“I crossed 80m in 2021. But then, I lost two whole years to injuries. In 2022, I broke my finger while practising with the hurdles. That took away two to three months. Then, there was an ankle strain and a lot of other smaller injuries,” says Sahil.
The struggles began to recede in 2024, as he recorded his personal best of 81.81m, which played a huge role in Sahil getting an invitation for the NC Classic, where he will be up against a high-quality field, including his friend Neeraj.
When Sahil first crossed paths with Neeraj in 2015, he was still an aspiring discus thrower, while the latter was already earmarked for greatness with the javelin.
Their journey would become increasingly intertwined over the years, after Sahil switched to javelin throw. The two have shared multiple national camps and foreign training tours, developing a close relationship.
“We are not only like training partners. We are more friends than training partners,” says Sahil about his relationship with Neeraj. But in terms of professional achievements, the common ground between the two has dwindled with time.
Neeraj broke free of all preconceived limits of Indian athletics, claiming nearly everything up for grabs at the global level.
Meanwhile, Sahil has existed on the fringes, as multiple throwers like Kishore Jena, Sachin Yadav and DP Manu overtook him in the pecking order.
Sahil, though, believes his best is yet to come. He considers that if he keeps things simple, he can push his PB higher and even challenge for a spot at the World Athletics Championship, where the qualification mark is 85.50m.
“It’s not that far a throw for me [85.50m]. I just have to stick to my technique and put in the effort in the training. So, if I replicate what I do in training and not overcomplicate things, then I can deliver the results,” says an optimistic Sahil.
