The 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland are set to witness a highly anticipated event in the men’s javelin throw competition. Pakistani Olympic gold medallist Arshad Nadeem has qualified for the final round after clearing the qualifying round with an impressive seasonal best score.
Nadeem, who won the gold medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham with a record-breaking throw of 90.18 meters, is participating in the 2026 Games being held from July 23 to August 2. The men’s javelin throw final will take place tomorrow (Friday) from 6:30pm to 10:15pm local time.
The qualifying round saw Nadeem throw his season’s best of 78.63 meters, securing a spot in the final event in seventh place. This marks a significant improvement over last year’s performance at the Spitzen Leichtathletik Luzern meeting in Switzerland on July 16, where he finished ninth with an underwhelming effort.
Nadeem has been named as one of the Global Breakthrough Athletes at the Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Sports Awards during the World Sports Summit in December. However, his return to competition was marred by a disappointing performance earlier this month ahead of the Glasgow games, where he finished ninth with an impressive throw of 78.47 meters.
Competing on the World Athletics Continental Tour Silver event, Nadeem’s best effort was recorded at 78.47 meters, with his series reading: X, 74.87m, 73.26m, X, 73.39m and 78.47m. Speaking after his final training session in Lahore before departing for both events, Nadeem expressed confidence that he had prepared well for the Commonwealth Games.
However, he faces stiff competition from India’s Neeraj Chopra and Rohit Yadav, as well as Sri Lanka’s Rumesh Tharanga, who are also vying for a spot in the final round. Tharanga currently sits atop today’s rankings with an impressive throw of 82.84 meters.
The men’s javelin throw final will be held tomorrow (Friday) from 6:30pm to 10:15pm local time. The event is expected to draw significant attention, given Nadeem’s impressive performance in the qualifying round and his status as a top contender for the gold medal.
Source: Dawn
Based on reporting from Dawn.
