Neeraj Chopra Wins Commonwealth Games Silver as Sri Lanka’s Pathirage Stuns with 89.75m

Glasgow, August 2026 : India’s Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra secured the silver medal in the men’s javelin throw at the Commonwealth Games 2026 after producing a season-best effort of 85.83 metres, but was denied the gold by a stunning performance from Sri Lanka’s R.T. Pathirage, who threw a remarkable 89.75m to claim the title.

Chopra, competing at the Commonwealth Games after missing the 2022 edition due to injury, opened his campaign with an 80.97m throw before finding his rhythm in the second round. His 85.83m effort ultimately remained his best mark of the competition. He later recorded throws of 81.29m and 80.73m, while his final two attempts were fouls.

The silver marked Chopra’s second Commonwealth Games medal after he won gold at the 2018 Gold Coast Games. However, the Indian star was unable to reclaim the title as Pathirage produced the performance of his career to establish a commanding lead.

India also celebrated a second medal in the event, with Yashvir Singh winning bronze after recording a personal best of 85.41m. His effort came in dramatic fashion in the sixth and final round, moving him into medal position and finishing just 42 centimetres behind Chopra.

With Pathirage and Chopra occupying the top two positions after the second round, Yashvir needed a major effort to break into the medals. He delivered precisely that with his final throw, recording the best distance of his career.

The Indian had to wait anxiously before his bronze was confirmed. Former world champion Anderson Peters of Grenada and South Africa’s Douw Smit still had their final attempts remaining and could have displaced him from the podium. However, neither athlete managed to surpass Yashvir’s 85.41m.

Peters eventually finished fourth with 83.88m, while Smit was fifth with 82.88m. Trinidad and Tobago’s Keshorn Walcott took sixth place with 82.55m.

The biggest disappointment of the final was defending champion and Paris Olympics gold medallist Arshad Nadeem of Pakistan, who struggled to produce his best form and finished ninth with 77.41m. Nadeem had won the Birmingham 2022 title and holds the Commonwealth Games record of 90.13m, set at that edition.

India’s third finalist, Rohit Yadav, finished seventh with a best throw of 81.56m.

Pathirage’s extraordinary 89.75m effort proved decisive and emerged as one of the standout performances of the Games. The Sri Lankan athlete consistently threatened the Indian pair and ultimately produced a distance that neither Chopra nor Yashvir could match.

For India, the double podium finish provided a major boost in one of the marquee events of the athletics programme. Chopra’s experience and Yashvir’s breakthrough performance combined to give the country two medals in the men’s javelin final.

The result also marked a memorable moment for Yashvir, who collected his maiden Commonwealth Games medal and established a new personal best on the biggest stage of his career.

The two javelin medals took India’s overall Commonwealth Games 2026 tally to 23 medals, comprising five gold, 12 silver and six bronze. India were placed 10th in the medal standings at the end of the competition, but remained poised for a climb with a strong showing expected in boxing.

With 10 Indian boxers reaching the finals, the country’s medal tally could rise significantly in the remaining events. Despite Chopra missing out on the top step of the podium, his season-best throw and Yashvir’s breakthrough bronze ensured India enjoyed a highly successful outing in the javelin competition.