In the men's javelin throw tournament at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, the performance of Pakistani sports star and reigning Olympic champion Arshad Nadeem was extremely disappointing. Arshad, who previously won a gold medal by setting a record at the 2022 Birmingham Games, failed to defend his title this time.
After three attempts, he managed to achieve his best throw of 77.41 meters, which allowed him to secure ninth place and fall outside the top eight. Arshad's start was unsuccessful: his first attempt was ruled invalid. In the second attempt, he threw 77.41 meters, but by then, athletes such as Niraj Chopra and Rohit Yadav had already exceeded the 80-meter mark. In the third and final attempt, he hoped for a comeback, but his javelin only traveled 75.39 meters, excluding him from the top 8.
Four years ago, at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, it was Arshad Nadeem who became champion, setting a record of 90.18 meters. This result was not only a new Commonwealth Games record but also the best performance by any Pakistani javelin thrower. He also became the first South Asian javelin thrower to exceed the 90-meter mark. However, in Glasgow, Arshad looked far from his previous form.
Arshad Nadeem's career is going through a difficult period after winning the gold medal at the Paris Olympics. Due to physical conditioning issues, he had to postpone surgery and was absent from competitions for a long time. His return in the 2026 season also did not meet expectations.
Two weeks ago, at the competition in Lucerne, Switzerland, he also finished ninth with his best throw of 78.47 meters. The situation has not changed at the Commonwealth Games, as he failed to make the top 8 in two major tournaments in a row.
In the final match, Rumesh Tharanga Patirage from Sri Lanka delivered an outstanding performance, winning the gold medal with a throw of 89.75 meters. Niraj Chopra from India won the silver medal by throwing 85.83 meters. Additionally, Yashvir Singh from India managed to win the bronze medal, setting a personal record of 85.41 meters.
