GLASGOW: Pakistan’s star javelin thrower and defending Commonwealth champion Arshad Nadeem was unable to retain his title after an unexpected early exit from the men’s javelin throw final at the Commonwealth Games 2026 in Glasgow.
Sri Lanka’s Romesh Tharanga delivered a remarkable performance to secure the gold medal with a best throw of 89.75 metres, while India’s Neeraj Chopra claimed the silver medal with a season-best effort of 85.83 metres.
Arshad Nadeem, who entered the competition as the defending champion and one of the favourites for the gold medal, finished ninth among the 12 finalists after the opening three rounds and failed to qualify for the final three attempts. According to competition rules, only the top eight athletes after the first three throws advance to the remaining rounds.
The Pakistani athlete had a disappointing start when his opening throw was ruled a foul. He managed 77.41 metres in his second attempt, briefly improving his standing before being overtaken by several competitors.
In contrast, Sri Lanka’s Romesh Tharanga produced the best performance of the event with a throw of 89.75 metres, comfortably earning the gold medal. India’s Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra finished second with 85.83 metres, while the remaining medal positions were decided after a closely contested competition.
In this regard, Arshad Nadeem had qualified for the final with a throw of 78.63 metres, finishing seventh in the qualifying round.
Despite the setback, Arshad Nadeem remains one of Pakistan’s greatest athletes. He created history at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games by throwing 92.97 metres, setting both Olympic and Asian records while becoming Pakistan’s first-ever Olympic gold medallist in athletics and the country’s first individual Olympic gold medallist.
The 29-year-old athlete also holds several historic achievements, including becoming Pakistan’s first track and field athlete to qualify directly for the Olympic Games under the modern qualification system and the first Pakistani to win a medal at the World Athletics Championships after securing silver in 2023.
At the 2022 Commonwealth Games, Arshad won the gold medal with a record-breaking throw of 90.18 metres, setting new Commonwealth and national records and becoming the first South Asian athlete to surpass the 90-metre mark in the javelin throw.
