Glasgow, July 30: Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra advanced to the men’s javelin throw final at the Commonwealth Games 2026 after finishing fifth in the qualification round at Scotstoun Stadium on Thursday.
Neeraj registered a best throw of 79.61m in difficult windy and cold conditions to comfortably secure a place among the 12 finalists. Speaking after the event, the Indian star said the weather made it challenging to judge the trajectory of the javelin and that the long wait before his turn added to the difficulty. He also expressed happiness that fellow Indians Rohit Yadav and Yashvir Singh qualified for the final.
Rohit Yadav finished ninth with a best effort of 78.37m, while Yashvir Singh was 10th with 78.36m, ensuring India has three representatives in the medal round.
Sri Lanka’s Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage topped the qualification standings with a throw of 82.84m, followed by Grenada’s Anderson Peters, who managed 81.29m. Pakistan’s Olympic gold medallist Arshad Nadeem also progressed to the final, finishing seventh with a season-best throw of 78.63m.
Neeraj, who won the Commonwealth Games gold medal in 2018, will now aim to reclaim the title as India looks for another athletics medal at the Glasgow Games. With three Indian throwers reaching the final, the country will be hoping for a strong performance in the medal event.
