India’s athletics campaign at the 2026 Commonwealth Games begins in Glasgow on Monday, with Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra leading a strong contingent aiming to surpass the country’s eight-medal haul from the Birmingham edition.

The men’s javelin competition is expected to be one of the biggest attractions of the Games, featuring several of the world’s top throwers, including Pakistan’s Olympic champion Arshad Nadeem and Sri Lanka’s Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage.

Neeraj Chopra faces world-class javelin field

Neeraj enters the competition after overcoming a lower back injury that delayed the start of his 2026 season. The two-time Olympic medallist made his first appearance of the year at the Doha Diamond League in June, where he finished fourth with a throw of 85.69m.

The Indian star later spent another month training and completing rehabilitation in Bienne, Switzerland, before travelling to Glasgow.

Neeraj won the Commonwealth Games gold medal in Gold Coast in 2018 with a throw of 86.47m and missed the 2022 Birmingham edition because of injury. This time, he will look to reclaim the title.

Indian athletics head coach Radhakrishnan Nair believes the 28-year-old is fully prepared for the challenge. The men’s javelin qualification is scheduled for July 30, with the medal event taking place the following day.

Arshad Nadeem and Pathirage among Gold contenders

The javelin competition features one of the strongest line-ups of the Games. Sri Lanka’s Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage arrives as the season leader among Commonwealth athletes after producing a 92.62m throw to win the Rome Diamond League. The 23-year-old has also crossed the 88m mark three more times this season, making him one of the favourites.

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Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem, however, has struggled with form in recent competitions and heads into Glasgow after recording 78.47m at Luzern earlier this month.

The field also includes world champion Keshorn Walcott of Trinidad and Tobago, Grenada’s Anderson Peters and Kenya’s Julius Yego.

Arshad Nadeem
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Arshad Nadeem | X [IndianSportsHub]

India’s Rohit Yadav is another athlete to watch after registering 87.05m last month, while Yashvir Singh completes the Indian challenge in the event.

India eye medals across multiple events

Apart from Neeraj, India have several medal hopefuls across the athletics programme. Long jumper Murali Sreeshankar enters the Games with the best season mark among Commonwealth competitors after leaping 8.38m. Silver medallist at Birmingham 2022, he will be aiming for another podium finish. Fellow Indian Lokesh Sathyanathan is also in contention after clearing 8.21m this season.

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In the men’s high jump, Sarvesh Kushare recently set a new national record of 2.31m and will compete against a world-class field that includes Olympic champion Hamish Kerr, Romaine Beckford and Yual Reath.

Strong prospects in Decathlon and Triple Jump

National record holder Tejaswin will lead India’s hopes in the decathlon, where he ranks second among Commonwealth athletes this season behind Canada’s Damian Warner.

India also have strong medal prospects in the men’s triple jump through national record holder Praveen Chitravel and Selva Prabhu. Jamaica’s Jordan Scott starts as the leading contender for gold.

Meanwhile, Tejas Shirse could challenge for a medal in the men’s 100m hurdles after setting the national record of 13.27 seconds this season. With medal opportunities spread across the field events and combined events, India will be aiming to improve on their Birmingham tally as the athletics competition gets underway in Glasgow.

FAQs

Who are Neeraj Chopra’s biggest rivals at the 2026 Commonwealth Games?

Neeraj Chopra will compete against Arshad Nadeem, Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage, Anderson Peters, Keshorn Walcott and Julius Yego.

How many athletics medals is India targeting at CWG 2026?

India is aiming to surpass the eight athletics medals it won at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.