GLASGOW — Olympic superstar Neeraj Chopra spearheaded a clean sweep for Indian javelin throwers in Glasgow on Thursday, qualifying alongside teammates Rohit Yadav and Yashvir Singh for the Commonwealth Games 2026 men’s javelin throw final.
Despite challenging, chilly, and gusty winds at the stadium that prevented every single athlete in the field from hitting the automatic qualification mark of 84.00 metres, all three Indians successfully punched their tickets to Friday's medal event.
Chopra finished fifth overall in the qualifying standings with a best attempt of 79.61m. Teammates Rohit Yadav (78.37m) and Yashvir Singh (78.36m) placed ninth and tenth respectively, ensuring maximum Indian representation in the final.
"The conditions were far from ideal for javelin throwers today. It wasn't just cold, but extremely windy, and no one managed to decode the wind patterns out there," Chopra noted following his qualification round.
Dual Success in Men's Triple Jump
India enjoyed further positive news in the field events as national record holder Praveen Chithravel and promising star Selva Prabhu both secured their places in Saturday’s triple jump final.
Chithravel recorded a leap of 16.41m to finish second overall in qualification, while Prabhu landed a distance of 16.26m to claim the third spot, setting up a dual medal threat for the nation.
Heartbreak in Shot Put and Track Events
However, the day was not without its share of athletic heartbreak. Asian Games gold medalist Tajinderpal Singh Toor finished fifth in the men's shot put final with a best mark of 20.27m. Compatriot Samardeep Singh Gill placed seventh with 20.03m, keeping India's long wait for a maiden Commonwealth Games medal in shot put alive. Nigeria's Chukwuebuka Enekwechi took the gold with a 21.07m attempt.
On the track, sprint hopefuls Animesh Kujur and Vishal TK both exited at the semifinal stage. Kujur clocked 20.65 seconds to finish sixth in his 200m semifinal, while Vishal ran 46.33 seconds to finish sixth in the 400m semifinal.
Agony in Weightlifting and Strong Start in Lawn Bowls
In weightlifting, 18-year-old sensation Martina Devi narrowly missed out on a podium spot in her CWG debut. Competing in the women’s +86kg category, Martina overcame early setbacks in the snatch to lift 105kg before adding a 140kg clean and jerk. Her 245kg total put her level on weight for fourth place, but she ultimately missed out on countback after close misses at 144kg and 146kg.
Over on the greens, the Indian men’s lawn bowls pair of Navneet Singh and Dinesh Kumar maintained their impressive unbeaten campaign. The duo held their nerve in a high-stakes tie-break against Botswana to secure their third straight win and strengthen their chances of advancing to the knockout rounds.
