CWG: Neeraj wins javelin silver, Yashvir claims bronze
Sri Lanka’s Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage won javelin gold with a season-best 89.75m throw, achieved on his second attempt at the CWG.
The third Indian in the field, Rohit Yadav, finished seventh with a best throw of 81.56 m, as India celebrated a memorable 2–3 finish on the podium.
- Comeback milestone: For Neeraj, this silver is less about the colour of the medal and more about proof that his body is responding after months of back trouble, with a season-best in only his second competition of the year.
- Depth of Indian javelin: Yashvir’s bronze, coming off a last-throw personal best, signals rising depth beyond Neeraj, with India now capable of multiple medal threats in global finals.
- Conditions mattered: The cold, windy Glasgow evening affected flight and rhythm; Neeraj himself noted he struggled to find his groove and missed the hot weather he thrives in.
- Regional dominance: With gold (Sri Lanka), silver and bronze (India), the Indian subcontinent asserted its growing strength in men’s javelin, while established global stars like Walcott and Arshad underperformed.
- Emotional resonance: Sharing the podium with Yashvir made the moment special for Neeraj, echoing past Indian double-medal scenes and reinforcing a sense of collective progress in Indian athletics.
- Looking ahead: Neeraj’s focus now shifts to more Diamond League meets and the Asian Games, where he expects to be closer to full fitness and capable of challenging for gold again.
On a cold, windy evening in Glasgow, India’s javelin stars showed both grit and heart to secure a historic double podium finish at the Commonwealth Games. Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra, not yet at his peak after a long injury layoff, still produced his season’s best to win silver, while 24-year-old Yashvir Singh delivered a stunning personal best on his final throw to clinch a surprise bronze.
Neeraj’s fightback
For Neeraj, this was a statement of resilience. The 28-year-old had been sidelined by a lower back injury since September last year, which delayed his return until the Diamond League in Doha in June, where he finished fourth with 85.69 m.
In Glasgow, he opened with 80.97 m, then unleashed a 85.83 m throw in his second attempt—his best of the season and just enough to hold second place.
His subsequent throws were inconsistent: 81.29 m and 80.73 m in rounds three and four, followed by two fouls as he tried to push further in difficult conditions.
For much of the early rounds, he even led the 12-athlete field, before Sri Lanka’s Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage produced a near-90 m throw to take control.
After the event, Neeraj was candid about his form.
“I can’t say fitness is like before. But I’m getting there slowly,” he said, adding that there was still time before the Asian Games and that he expected gradual improvement.
He admitted the weather played a role: “It was good at the start, but later it became cold and there was wind… I like hot weather … (I’m) Indian blood.”
Despite the silver, he sounded satisfied with his comeback trajectory.
“Although we always want the national anthem to play, I did my season best and comeback is going okay… I am happy,” he said.
Yashvir’s last-throw heroics
If Neeraj’s performance was about steady recovery, Yashvir’s was pure drama.
Making his Commonwealth Games debut, the 24-year-old was in seventh place after five rounds, with his best throw so far at 81.33 m.
His earlier personal best stood at 83.72 m, but on his sixth and final attempt, he unleashed a massive 85.41 m throw—a new lifetime best—that vaulted him onto the podium.
For Neeraj, the moment carried extra meaning: “It feels great to be on the podium together,” he said, recalling a similar double at the Asian Games.
Gold for Rumesh in testing conditions
Sri Lanka’s Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage justified his favourite tag with a commanding gold-winning throw of 89.75 m in his second attempt, just a whisker short of the 90 m mark.
In cold, blustery Glasgow, that near-90 m effort was especially impressive; he remains the only javelin thrower this season to breach 90 m, having previously recorded a personal and season-best 92.62 m when winning the Rome Diamond League in June.
Ironically, after that monstrous second throw, all five of his remaining attempts were fouls, but he never needed another legal throw to retain the lead.
Indian subcontinent sweep
In a remarkable regional showcase, athletes from the Indian subcontinent swept all three medals in the men’s javelin throw.
Pakistan’s defending champion and reigning Olympic gold medallist, Arshad Nadeem, suffered a shock early exit, eliminated after three rounds with a best of just 77.41 m.
Reigning world champion Keshorn Walcott of Trinidad and Tobago could manage only sixth place with 82.55 m.
In Glasgow’s chill, India’s javelin duo delivered warmth for the nation: a veteran rebuilding his rhythm and a rookie announcing himself on the biggest stage.