CWG 2026: Neeraj Chopra leads Indian trio into javelin throw final
India's Neeraj Chopra, along with compatriots Rohit Yadav and Yashvir Singh, has qualified for the men's javelin throw final at the Commonwealth Games 2026. The qualifying round was held on Thursday at the Scotstoun Stadium in Glasgow.
Chopra, the reigning Olympic champion, finished fifth with a best throw of 79.61 metres. He attributed the modest distance to windy and cold conditions that made throwing difficult. 'The conditions were quite tough, and it was challenging to judge the trajectory because of the wind. The warm-up, too, was very challenging. Since I was 18th in the throwing order, the wait was long in such tough conditions. It was windy and cold. I am happy that the other two Indians have also qualified for the final,' the 28-year-old said.
Rohit Yadav and Yashvir Singh also secured their places in the medal round, finishing ninth and tenth respectively among the 12 qualifiers. Rohit recorded a top effort of 78.37 metres, while Yashvir was just a centimetre behind. Pakistan's Arshad Nadeem, the Paris Olympics gold medallist, qualified seventh with a season's best of 78.63 metres.
Sri Lanka's Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage topped the qualifying round with a throw of 82.84 metres, followed by Grenada's Anderson Peters (81.29 metres). The final is scheduled to take place later in the Games.
