Glasgow, July 30: India’s Neeraj Chopra advanced to the men’s javelin throw final at the Commonwealth Games 2026 after registering a best effort of 79.61 metres in the qualification round at Scotstoun Stadium on Thursday.
Chopra finished fifth in the qualifying event and secured his place in the 12-member final. The 28-year-old is aiming to regain the Commonwealth Games title he won in 2018.The Indian athlete said the cold and windy weather created challenging conditions for the competitors. He noted that the wind made it difficult to assess the flight path of the javelin, while the extended wait before his turn added to the difficulty.
Chopra was placed 18th in the throwing order and said the long wait affected the warm-up process in the adverse weather. He, however, expressed satisfaction over the qualification of all three Indian athletes for the medal round.
Rohit Yadav and Yashvir Singh also made the final after finishing ninth and 10th, respectively, among the 12 qualifiers. Rohit recorded a best throw of 78.37 metres, while Yashvir was only one centimetre behind with an effort of 78.36 metres.Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem finished seventh with a season-best throw of 78.63 metres and also progressed to the final.
Sri Lanka’s Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage led the qualification standings with an effort of 82.84 metres. Grenada’s Anderson Peters finished second after recording a throw of 81.29 metres.
With Chopra, Rohit and Yashvir all advancing, India will have three representatives in the men’s javelin final, where the athletes will compete for the Commonwealth Games medals.
