Beyond the Silver: Neeraj Chopra sees Indian javelin’s bright future …

Rohan Chowdhury, Glasgow

The men’s javelin final, one of the most anticipated events of the Commonwealth Games 2026 athletics programme, ended in a South Asian clean sweep at Scotstoun Stadium in Glasgow. xsportfeed.quest

Sri Lanka’s Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage struck gold with a best throw of 89.75m, while India’s Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra settled for silver with his season’s best effort of 85.83m. India’s Yash Vir Singh, competing in his first senior international event, claimed bronze with a personal best of 85.41m.

The weather forecast had predicted rain, but the showers stayed away. What remained, however, was the biting cold and swirling winds that made life difficult for the throwers. Several attempts drifted towards the media centre end because of the gusts, highlighting the challenging conditions. Chopra himself arrived for the post-event media interaction wearing a woollen cap.

“However, better than yesterday. As the competition progressed, the wind started to increase its power,” Chopra said while describing the conditions.

While the medals were decided on the runway, the evening also reflected the remarkable rise of Indian men’s javelin over the last few years, and the leadership qualities of Neeraj Chopra.

At the Hangzhou Asian Games in 2023, Kishore Jena shared the podium with Chopra. Since then, athletes such as Sachin Yadav, Rohit Yadav, DP Manu and now Yash Vir Singh have consistently emerged on the international stage, underlining India’s growing depth in the discipline. Through injuries, setbacks and changing competitors, Chopra has remained the constant figure leading the group.

That leadership was once again evident in Glasgow.

Making his debut at a major international championship, Yash Vir entered the final under immense pressure. Chopra revealed that he had been motivating the youngster throughout the competition.

“I am very happy that Yashveer did his personal best at such a place where it was very important.”

“I told Yash in the qualification round to give that extra effort and make the final. In the final, I told him that this is the last throw and to give his best, so that he could motivate himself and all the Indians.”

Yash Vir responded with the biggest throw of his career to secure a place on the podium.

Chopra also reflected on Rohit Yadav’s performance while praising the depth that Indian javelin has developed.

“Rohit’s throw was a little disappointing today, but Yash produced a very good throw. I always tell him that opportunities like these, especially at major Games that come every four years, should never be wasted. You get such chances after a long time. Today, Yash made full use of that opportunity and delivered a great throw.”

Perhaps Chopra’s most telling comments were about the future of Indian javelin. Having endured an injury-hit phase himself, the Olympic champion said it gives him confidence to see several Indian throwers capable of delivering on the big stage.

“I feel very good. The most important thing is that if I’m not on the field because of an injury, it’s reassuring to know that there are people who can carry the event forward and throw well. They are doing very well. Yash Vir has crossed 85 metres now. Rohit had thrown 87 metres before coming here. Sachin is also doing very well. Our junior javelin throwers are performing really well, and I’m very happy to see Indian javelin growing so much.”

For years, Indian men’s javelin revolved around Neeraj Chopra. In Glasgow, even with a silver, the Olympic champion perhaps found a bigger reason to smile — the next generation is already announcing itself.

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Simran Gupta

India will have another action-packed day at the Commonwealth Games 2026 on Saturday, August 1st, with medals on offer across athletics, para-athletics, boxing, and track cycling. Judokas and lawn bowl athletes will also have an equally intense day as they will look forward to progressing deep into their respective competitions.

Track Cycling

The day will begin with David Beckham, Ronaldo Singh and Rojit Singh competing in the Men’s Sprint qualification in track cycling at 2:30 p.m. If the contestants qualify, the knockout rounds, including semifinals and finals, will take place later on in the day.

India’s cycling contingent will also be in action at 4:19 p.m. as Dinesh Kumar and Harshveer Singh Sekhon will compete in the Men’s 10km Scratch Race qualification. And a successful qualification will steer them to the final at 10:50 p.m.

Para Athletics

India’s first medal opportunity will be at 2:35 p.m. as Soman Rana and Shubham Juyal will compete in the Men’s Shot Put F57 final, followed by Praveen Chithravel and Selva Prabhu Thirumaran in the Men’s Triple Jump final. Alongside this, Ramesh Shanmugam will be competing in the Men’s 1500m T54 final, before Priyanka and Ravina take to the track in the Women’s 10,000m Race Walk final at 3 p.m.

Boxing

The boxing ring will headline the afternoon session with India aiming for multiple gold medals. Preeti Pawar will be the first to get into action when she faces Canada’s Scarlett Savannah Delgado in the Women’s 54kg final, followed by Jaismine Lamboria in the Women’s 57kg final, before Jadumani Singh will meet Australia’s Jye Dixon in the Men’s 55kg final.

The evening session will be dominated by the boxing finals. Sakshi Choudhary will begin India’s medal haul chase by facing England’s Ruby White in the Women’s 51kg final at 9 p.m., followed by Priya Ghangas in action at 9:15, and Arundhati Choudhary at 9:30 p.m. They will be facing contestants from Canada and England respectively, before the Olympic medalist Lovlina Borgohain will take on Australia’s Emma Sue Greentree in the Women’s 75kg final at 10:45 p.m. Ankush Panghal and Narender Berwal will be in action at 10:15 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. respectively.

Judo

The judo competition will also resume from 3:54 pm onwards, with Unnati Sharma in the Women’s 63 kg round of 16. Karanjit Singh Maan will be in the Men’s 90kg round of 16. Other judokas who will be in action are Harsh Tokas and Inunganbi Takhellambam. Should the Indian judokas advance, the semifinals will be held from 8:30 p.m. onwards.

Lawn Bowls

In Lawn Bowls, Navneet Singh and Dinesh Kumar will begin with their Men’s sectional pairs at 3:50 p.m., followed by Nayanmoni Saikia in action later at night at 10:20 p.m. in the Women’s singles sectional play.

If Navneet and Dinesh progress, they will return for the Men’s pair semifinal at 11:45 p.m.

Athletics

The athletics program will also continue simultaneously late into the night, with Dev Meena and Kuldeep Kumar competing in the Men’s Pole Vault final at 11:35 p.m., distance runner, Gulveer Singh, in the Men’s 5,000m final at 12:15 a.m., and Vishal T.K., Rajesh Ramesh, Rashdeep Kaur, and Neeru Pathak in the Mixed 4x400m Relay final at 1:15 p.m.

With numerous medal events across most sports, India will be hoping to add significantly to its Commonwealth Games medal tally on another blockbuster day of the competition.

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Harsh Singh engraved his name in Indian judo history after becoming the country’s first-ever male judoka to win a Commonwealth Games gold medal. The 23-year-old produced a disciplined display to upset Australia’s Joshua Katz in the men’s 60kg final and claim the biggest title of his career on Friday.

In what is his debut appearance at the Commonwealth Games, Harsh showed confidence and maturity against one of the most experienced judokas in the field. Katz entered the final as the favourite, having represented Australia at the Olympic Games and won several Oceania Championships and Australian national titles.

He had also claimed a bronze medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.

The gold medal contest remained evenly balanced for most of the four-minute bout, with neither judoka able to find a breakthrough. Harsh stayed patient, defended well and waited for the right opportunity.

With just 41 seconds left on the clock, the Indian made his move. He executed a clean waza-ari, earning the decisive score of the contest. From there, Harsh held his nerve and defended strongly until the final buzzer to complete a famous victory.

The result was one of the biggest upsets of the judo competition. Harsh never looked overawed despite facing a far more experienced opponent. His calm approach and tactical discipline helped him secure India’s second judo gold medal of the day.

Also Read: India at Commonwealth Games 2026: Medal tally of Indian contingent ahead of action on August 1

The victory also carried extra significance considering Katz’s strong judo background. Both his parents were former judokas, while his father had served as Australia’s national judo coach at previous Olympic Games. Harsh, however, remained focused on his own game and delivered a performance that will be remembered as a landmark moment for Indian judo.

Harsh Singh’s background

Harsh Singh was born on May 24, 2003, represents Delhi, and trains at the Inspire Institute of Sport (IIS), Bellary. He has established himself as one of India’s leading judokas in the men’s under-60kg category through consistent performances in national competitions and selection trials. He has also represented India regularly on the IJF World Tour.

Before his Commonwealth Games triumph, Harsh finished seventh at the 2026 Qazaqstan Barysy Grand Slam and represented India at the 2026 Senior Asian Championships, 2026 Tashkent Grand Slam, 2025 Tokyo Grand Slam, and 2025 Hong Kong Asian Open. These performances helped him gain valuable international experience before winning gold in Glasgow.