Glasgow: India’s former Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra clinched the silver medal in the men’s javelin throw at the Commonwealth Games 2026 after producing his season’s best effort of 85.83m. However, the mark wasn’t enough to regain the title as Sri Lanka’s R.T. Pathirage delivered a sensational 89.75m throw to claim gold.
It was a maiden Commonwealth Games medal for Yashvir Singh while Chopra grabbed his second medal after the gold at Gold Coast in 2018. He missed the 2022 edition with an injury.
Neeraj opened with 80.97m before improving to 85.83m in his second attempt, which eventually stood as his best throw of the competition. His remaining valid throws measured 81.29m and 80.73m, while his final two attempts were fouls.
India celebrated a double podium finish with Yashvir Singh securing the bronze medal. Yashvir registered a personal best of 85.41m, finishing just 42cm behind Neeraj in a closely fought contest.
Pathirage’s outstanding 89.75m effort proved unbeatable as the Sri Lankan thrower produced the performance of his career to take the Commonwealth title.
With the first two spots sealed by Pathirage and Chopra after the second round, Yashvir Singh upset the rankings by producing his personal best throw of 85.41 in the sixth and final round to jump into medal contention.
But his medal was not sealed yet as former World Champion Anderson Peters of Grenada and Douw Smit of South Africa had an opportunity to overtake him in their final throws. But both failed to come anywhere close to Yashvir’s effort.
Anderson Peters finished fourth with 83.88m, followed by Douw Smit (82.88m) and Trinidad and Tobago’s Keshorn Walcott (82.55m).
Paris Olympics gold medallist Arshad Nadeem of Pakistan, who was also the defending champion from Birmingham, failed to make a mark and finished ninth with a below-par performance of 77.41. Nadeem holds the Games record of 90.13m set at Birmingham in 2022.
Rohit Yadav, the third Indian in the javelin throw final, finished seventh with a best throw of 81.56m.
Despite missing out on gold, Neeraj’s silver and Yashvir’s bronze ensured India finished with two medals in one of the marquee events of the athletics programme, while Pathirage’s stunning display emerged as one of the biggest upsets of the Games.
The two medals in javelin throw took India’s overall tally to 23 with five gold, 12 silver and six bronze medals. They occupy the 10th spot in the medals table but will definitely move up in the rankings with a big haul expected in the boxing rings as 10 Indian pugilists made it to the finals on Friday.
(IANS)
