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Indian javelin stars script historic double podium in Glasgow
Neeraj Chopra claimed silver at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, returning strongly after a lengthy injury break to silence critics. He threw a season-best 85.83m during a chilly Friday night at Scotstoun Stadium. Sri Lanka's Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage won gold with an impressive 89.75m throw, marking a complete South Asian podium sweep. Yash Vir Singh, a 25-year-old from Rajasthan, captured bronze with a personal best of 85.41m on his final attempt.
South Asian athletes are increasingly dominating global track and field events, shifting competitive power away from traditional European strongholds in recent years. Neeraj battled strong headwinds and dropping temperatures to secure his medal. He admitted feeling cautious during his run-up due to a recurring back issue from last year. Despite these physical limitations, he registered his best throw on his second attempt. Arshad Nadeem, the reigning Olympic champion from Pakistan, suffered a shock exit after managing only 77.41m in the first three rounds.
Yash Vir Singh sat in eighth place before his final throw. Neeraj encouraged him from the sidelines, telling him to put maximum effort into his last try. Yash Vir delivered a stunning 85.41m throw to secure third place. This late surge created India's first double podium in men's javelin at the Commonwealth Games. Other notable competitors struggled, with former world champion Anderson Peters throwing 83.88m for fourth place and Keshorn Walcott settling for sixth. Indian thrower Rohit Yadav finished seventh overall with a best effort of 81.56m.
Rumesh Pathirage previously defeated his childhood idol Neeraj at the Doha Diamond League earlier this season. In Glasgow, he cheered loudly for the Indian star during the final attempts. Neeraj acknowledged he felt mixed emotions but expressed satisfaction with his performance given his very recent recovery, promising better results soon.
With Inputs and Image from Public Domain
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