Glasgow, July 30 (IANS) After booking his place in the Men’s Javelin Throw final at the Commonwealth Games 2026 with a best effort of 79 metres, India’s Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra admitted the cold and swirling winds made the competition challenging but expressed satisfaction with the outcome, while also looking ahead to what he expects will be a high-quality final featuring many of the world’s leading throwers.

Having done enough to secure qualification, Chopra said his primary objective had always been to progress to the medal round rather than chase a massive throw.

“It was really cold and windy, but the throw was okay, the 79m throw. The goal was to go in the final and give my best in the final, so I’m happy with the throw,” he said after the qualifying round where he finished fifth.

The Indian star explained that the unpredictable wind made it extremely difficult for athletes to judge their approach and release during qualification, with no competitor managing to achieve the automatic qualifying standard.

“Conditions are not best for javelin throwers. Not only cold, but it’s really windy. The wind was also not in the front; sometimes it’s from the side. It’s really hard to process where we have to throw. Sometimes we think, ‘Okay, we’ll throw there’, but then the wind comes from the other side. And lots of throwers are struggling today. Nobody touched the automatic qualification mark. It was tough conditions, but we are happy that all three Indians are in the final,” Chopra added.

All three Indian javelin throwers advanced to the final, giving the country multiple medal hopes heading into the title-deciding contest.

Looking ahead to the final, Chopra acknowledged the strength of the field, which includes several of the world’s best athletes and fellow medallists from the Paris Olympics, saying, “Yeah, it’s a crazy field. For an event like Javelin Throw, that will be a really good final. Hope conditions will be okay tomorrow. Everyone looks in good shape. Let’s see tomorrow.”

Chopra also praised Sri Lanka’s rising talent Rumesh, saying the youngster’s emergence reflects the growing standard of javelin throwing across South Asia.

“He’s the new kid on the block, the rising star. He throws really well. He’s a good friend of mine. This year he has thrown really well. It’s good that Javelin is growing in our neighbourhood. It feels good that he did something great for Sri Lanka,” he said.

The Olympic champion believes the sport has undergone a dramatic transformation in the region, with greater awareness, improved coaching resources and wider access to information encouraging more youngsters to take up javelin.

“Javelin is really popular in South Asia now. There are lots of Javelin throwers. There are lots of athletes, and they are training for Javelin. So there is a better chance that so many good athletes will come. Earlier, Javelin as a sport was not that famous. But in the last few years, people support javelin and people know about the sport. So they know there is a future, and they really push themselves.

“We have good facilities now, and we know about javelin. Because when I started, I didn’t know how we had to plan for Javelin training and how we had to train. But right now, because of the internet, you can know about Javelin training. So it’s really good that people know about Javelin now. That’s why people recognise Javelin throw, and they try to give their best,” he added.

Reflecting on the impact of his own success, Chopra said his historic gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics sparked a surge of interest in the discipline, resulting in a new generation of elite Indian throwers.

“Earlier, there were lots of other really good athletes that provided a boost to other sports. But after my Tokyo Olympics gold, there was an immense boost in Javelin. I’m happy we have really good throwers now. I think we have around 20 80m throwers, so it’s really good for India,” Chopra concluded.

–IANS

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