Why Neeraj Chopra’s CWG 2026 silver meant more with Yashvir Singh by his side in Glasgow | Commonwealth Games News
NEW DELHI: Neeraj Chopra added another medal to his glittering career at the Commonwealth Games, but the silver medal was not the only reason for his smile. The Olympic champion said sharing the podium with fellow Indian Yashvir Singh made the moment even more special.Neeraj finished second in the men’s javelin throw with a season-best effort of 85.83m, while Commonwealth Games debutant Yashvir Singh clinched the bronze medal with a personal best throw of 85.41m in his final attempt. Sri Lanka’s Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage claimed the gold with a best throw of 89.75m. Competing in only his second event of the season, Neeraj battled difficult weather conditions to throw 85.83m in his second attempt. The effort, his season best, was enough to earn him the silver medal in his second Commonwealth Games appearance. He had won the gold medal at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast.
The CWG 2026 silver added to an already impressive medal collection that includes Olympic gold and silver, World Championships gold and silver, two Asian Games gold medals, a Commonwealth Games gold and silver, the Diamond League title, the Asian Championships gold, the South Asian Games gold and the U20 World Championships gold.
Neeraj Chopra’s medal record
| Competition | Medal/Result | Year | Host City | Event |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Olympic Games | Gold | 2020 | Tokyo | Javelin throw |
| Olympic Games | Silver | 2024 | Paris | Javelin throw |
| World Championships | Gold | 2023 | Budapest | Javelin throw |
| World Championships | Silver | 2022 | Eugene | Javelin throw |
| Diamond League | First Place | 2022 | Zurich | Javelin throw |
| Commonwealth Games | Gold | 2018 | Gold Coast | Javelin throw |
| Commonwealth Games | Silver | 2026 | Glasgow | Javelin throw |
| Asian Games | Gold | 2018 | Jakarta | Javelin throw |
| Asian Games | Gold | 2022 | Hangzhou | Javelin throw |
| Asian Championships | Gold | 2017 | Bhubaneswar | Javelin throw |
| South Asian Games | Gold | 2016 | Guwahati | Javelin throw |
| U20 World Championships | Gold | 2016 | Bydgoszcz | Javelin throw |
| U20 Asian Championships | Silver | 2016 | Ho Chi Minh City | Javelin throw |
‘It feels great to be on the podium together’
Neeraj was full of praise for Yashvir, who produced the best throw of his career under pressure, and said sharing the podium with another Indian reminded him of the Asian Games medal double.“It brings back memories of the Asian Games, where Saurav and I both won medals. I’m really happy that Yashvir achieved a personal best at such a crucial moment. It feels great to be on the podium together. It’s always a joy to hear the national anthem play. That said, I also achieved a season-best, and my comeback is progressing well. There are more competitions ahead, so I’m very happy,” Chopra told reporters.
Yashvir shines on Commonwealth Games debut
Yashvir emerged as the surprise package of the competition. The 24-year-old produced a personal best throw of 85.41m on his sixth and final attempt to win the bronze medal on his Commonwealth Games debut.He improved his previous personal best of 83.72m and finished ahead of several established names, including Anderson Peters and Arshad Nadeem.Reflecting on his medal-winning throw, Yashvir said he kept believing he could produce something special despite a slow start.“This is my first international medal, and I am overjoyed. Everyone supported me, my family, my parents, everyone… I am truly happy about this… things were going a bit sluggishly at the start. At one point, my throw was around 81.3 meters. I saw that the bronze medal mark was sitting at 82 meters. I told myself, ‘I’ve already thrown 82 meters–my personal best–in this competition, so I can definitely go beyond that.‘ Things weren’t going well up to the fifth throw, so for the final attempt, I decided to just go for it and see what happens. That last throw turned out really well,” Singh said.
