Neeraj Chopra Beats Arshad Nadeem in CWG Qualifiers, But Sri Lanka’s Surprise Star Steals the Spotlight Ahead of Final

GLASGOW: India’s javelin icon Neeraj Chopra made a confident return to the Commonwealth Games 2026, securing his place in the men’s javelin throw final after finishing ahead of Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem in Thursday’s qualification round. However, it was Sri Lanka’s Rumesh Tharanga who emerged as the biggest surprise, producing the best throw of the day to top the standings.

Returning to the Commonwealth Games after missing the Birmingham 2022 edition because of injury, Neeraj Chopra delivered a composed performance in Glasgow. The Tokyo Olympic gold medallist opened with a throw of 76.28 metres before improving to 79.61 metres on his second attempt, a distance that comfortably secured qualification for the final scheduled for the early hours of August 1.

While Neeraj’s performance was enough to finish ahead of long-time rival Arshad Nadeem, the Indian star ended the qualification round in fifth place overall. Arshad, representing Pakistan, managed a best effort of 78.63 metres, which came in his opening attempt, placing him seventh in the standings.

The biggest headline from the qualifiers, however, belonged to Rumesh Tharanga of Sri Lanka. He required only one throw to register an impressive 82.84 metres, finishing at the top of the leaderboard and sending a strong message ahead of the medal contest.

Grenada’s Anderson Peters, one of the world’s leading javelin throwers, followed closely with 81.29 metres, while South Africa’s Douw Smit claimed third place after recording 80.64 metres.

India enjoyed an excellent qualification campaign overall, with all three of its representatives progressing to the final. Rohit Yadav registered a best throw of 78.37 metres to finish ninth, while Yashvir Singh secured the tenth spot with 78.36 metres. Their qualification ensures India will have strong representation in one of the Games’ most anticipated athletics events.

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For Neeraj Chopra, the Glasgow Games mark an important chapter in his comeback journey. The Indian superstar won the Commonwealth Games gold medal in Gold Coast 2018, but injury forced him to miss the 2022 edition. Now fully fit, he has returned with hopes of reclaiming the title and adding another prestigious medal to his already remarkable career.

Earlier this season, Neeraj made his competitive return at the Doha Diamond League, his first event after recovering from a back injury. Although he initially took time to settle, he found his rhythm with a throw of 85.69 metres on his third attempt, briefly moving into third place.

He later produced another throw of 83.45 metres, but a foul attempt in the crucial fifth round saw him slip out of the top three and miss the final shootout. Despite that disappointment, the outing provided valuable match practice as he worked his way back to peak form.

With qualification now complete, attention shifts to the Commonwealth Games final, where Neeraj Chopra, Arshad Nadeem, Anderson Peters, Rumesh Tharanga, and several other top athletes will battle for the medals. Given the form shown in the qualifiers, the final promises to be one of the most exciting contests of the athletics programme.

For Indian fans, expectations will once again rest on Neeraj’s shoulders as he aims to convert a solid qualification performance into another memorable international triumph.