Pakistan’s Olympic champion advances to the final after securing a top-12 finish in a challenging qualification round in Glasgow.
Pakistan’s Olympic gold medalist Arshad Nadeem has successfully qualified for the men’s javelin throw final at the 2026 Commonwealth Games after navigating a demanding qualification round in Glasgow on Thursday.
The qualification event was heavily affected by strong headwinds, making conditions difficult for all participants.
As a result, none of the athletes managed to achieve the automatic qualifying standard of 84 metres. Despite the challenging environment, Nadeem did enough to secure his place among the finalists.
The Pakistani star, widely regarded as one of the leading contenders for the gold medal, began his campaign with a throw of 78.63 metres.
He then recorded a foul on his second attempt before producing a final throw of 75.65 metres. His opening effort proved sufficient to earn him sixth place overall in the qualification standings and secure a spot in the top 12 athletes advancing to the final.
Sri Lanka’s Rumesh Pathirage emerged as the top performer in the qualification round with a throw of 82.84 metres. Grenada’s reigning world champion Anderson Peters followed in second place with 81.29 metres.
South Africa’s Douw Smit and England’s Benjamin East also impressed, registering throws of 80.64 metres and 80.38 metres, respectively.
Arshad’s long-time rival, India’s Neeraj Chopra, also booked his place in the final. Chopra improved from an opening throw of 76.28 metres to 79.61 metres on his second attempt. India will have a strong presence in the final, with Rohit Yadav and Yashveer Singh also progressing after recording best throws of 78.37 metres and 78.36 metres, respectively.
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s Muhammad Yasir Sultan was unable to advance. After fouling his first attempt, he managed throws of 71.42 metres and 74.36 metres but fell short of a top-12 finish.
The men’s javelin throw final is scheduled for July 31 at 7:45 PM Pakistan Standard Time. Pakistan will be looking to build on its strong Commonwealth Games history, particularly after its successful 2022 Birmingham campaign.
Arshad Nadeem remains a major medal hope, having won Pakistan’s first Commonwealth Games athletics gold medal since 1962 with a record-breaking 90.18-metre throw in Birmingham.