CWG 2026: All 3 Indians Reach Men's Javelin Final, Neeraj Chopra Qualifies 5th

All three Indian javelin throwers progressed to the men's final at the Commonwealth Games 2026 on Thursday, with two-time Olympic medallist Neeraj Chopra qualifying in fifth place after recording a best throw of 79.61 metres.

Rohit Yadav and Yash Vir Singh also secured places in the 12-man final, finishing ninth and 10th with best efforts of 78.37m and 78.36m respectively.

Pakistan's reigning Olympic champion Arshad Nadeem also qualified, finishing seventh with a throw of 78.63m, setting up another high-profile India-Pakistan contest in the final after their memorable rivalry at the Paris Olympics.

No Athlete Crosses Automatic Qualification Mark

None of the 18 competitors managed to breach the automatic qualification mark of 84 metres, with the top 12 progressing to the final based on their performances.

Sri Lanka's Rumesh Pathirage topped the qualification standings with a throw of 82.84m, followed by Grenada's Anderson Peters in second and South Africa's Douw Smit in third.

Officials noted that strong winds throughout the qualification round made conditions difficult for the athletes and affected throwing distances.

Julius Yego Misses Out

Former world champion Julius Yego of Kenya failed to qualify after being pushed out of the top 12 in the closing stages of the competition.

Nigeria's Chincherem Nnamdi overtook Yego with his final throw, ending the Kenyan veteran's campaign.

Qualification Format

Each athlete was allowed three attempts in the qualification round, with the top 12 advancing to the final after no competitor achieved the automatic qualifying distance.