‘There is very tough competition in javelin’: Neeraj Chopra expects fierce battle at Commonwealth Games 2026
Speaking before the men’s javelin competition, Chopra said the quality of the field meant that every throw was important.
“The field is quite good and I think it is a very tough competition in javelin because there are a lot of gold medals in the World Championships, a lot of Olympic gold medalists are there as well as Commonwealth Games and Asian Games medalists. So it will be quite a tough competition and almost everyone will be performing in the Diamond Leagues as well, so everyone will be able to see good competition,” he told the media on Sunday.
The field includes Commonwealth champion and Olympic gold medalist Arshad Nadeem of Pakistan, Grenada’s former world champion Anderson Peters, Trinidad and Tobago’s Olympic champion Keshorn Walcott and Sri Lanka’s world leader Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage. India will also be represented by Rohit Yadav and Yash Vir Singh.
Recalling her return to the Commonwealth Games, where she won her first international gold medal, Chopra said that this event had a special place in her career.
“I have very good memories of the Commonwealth Games. My first senior games were a senior competition, the Commonwealth Games. So the beginning of my senior career starts well from there, from the moment I won the gold medal. Whenever I have to represent my country, those are always big matches for me. So I feel good to finally be back on the court and feeling pretty good,” Chopra said.
Chopra, who has competed only once this season after recovering from a back injury, said her physical condition is much better than it was a few months ago. “It’s fine now. I was playing my first competition after the Tokyo World Athletics Championships (2025) in Doha, so there was a good shot there and then we worked on the deficiencies that were felt and worked on the conditioning, so now it feels much better than before,” he said.
The Indian star, who finished fourth in the Doha Diamond League with a throw of 85.69 meters, said that he focused on applying his technique rather than chasing a certain distance or opponent.
He said: “I just have this in mind: What we come to after training, the technique we come to after focusing, I do it well, otherwise I don’t have such a specific goal in mind. I just try to do my best on that day and give 100% every time I compete.”
Weather can also play a role, with windy conditions greeting athletes during training in Glasgow. But Chopra insisted that adjusting mentally was crucial.
“Yes, the wind conditions are a little tough, but that goes for everyone. But no matter how bad the conditions are, we’ve got to stay a little tough mentally,” he said.
The men’s javelin qualifying event will be held at Scotstoun Stadium on July 30, with the medal event the following day as Chopra bids to add a second Commonwealth Games gold to her illustrious career.
