Shivam Lohakare Shines at Federation Cup but Falls Short of Commonwealth Games Standard

On a bright Saturday morning in Patiala, the Federation Cup athletics meet unfolded with the usual fanfare – flags fluttering, spectators buzzing, and athletes eyeing the podium. Among them was Shivam Lohakare, a 24‑year‑old javelin thrower from Maharashtra, who had been quietly making waves in the domestic circuit.

When the curtains rose for the men's javelin final, Shivam stepped into the runway with a calm that belied the pressure building around him. He launched his first throw at 78.65 m, a distance that immediately put him ahead of the field. The crowd roared, and even his fellow competitors seemed to give a nod of respect.

He didn’t stop there. On his third attempt he nudged a personal best – 80.03 m – a season‑high that secured him the gold medal. "It feels amazing to win, especially with a throw that’s better than what I did earlier in the year," Shivam said, grinning as he accepted the trophy. "I’ve been working on my technique, and today it finally clicked."

But the celebration was tinged with a hint of disappointment. The Commonwealth Games qualifying standard for men's javelin sits at 81.00 m. Despite the celebratory medal, Shivam’s 80.03 m fell just 97 cm shy of the mark.

"It’s a mixed feeling," he admitted later in a post‑event interview. "Winning is great, but the Commonwealth Games are a big goal for me. Missing the mark by less than a metre pushes me to train harder, to fine‑tune the run‑up, maybe work on my release angle. The good news is I’m close, and I know what I need to improve."

His coach, former national champion Ramesh Singh, echoed the sentiment. "Shivam has shown he belongs at the top of Indian javelin right now. The throw was technically sound; the only thing missing was a little extra speed. We’ll take this as a learning curve. The next domestic meet and the upcoming Asian Games will be perfect opportunities to chase that 81‑metre target," Singh said.

The Federation Cup, organized by the Athletics Federation of India, serves as a crucial platform for athletes to prove their mettle ahead of international championships. For Shivam, the event was both a confidence boost and a reminder that the road to the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham is still a work in progress.

Looking ahead, Shivam plans to spend the next few weeks in a high‑altitude training camp in Uttarakhand, focusing on strength conditioning and refining his biomechanics. "I’m not giving up," he declared with a determined smile. "I’ll be back stronger, and I’ll make that mark – I promise."