Nagoya, September 28, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
India secured a silver-bronze double in the men’s javelin throw at the Asian Games 2026 on Monday, as Yash Vir Singh and Rohit Yadav finished second and third, respectively, at the Nagoya City Mizuho Park Athletic Stadium.
Yash Vir claimed the silver medal with a personal-best throw of 85.72 metres, while Rohit took bronze with an effort of 84.35 metres. Sri Lanka’s world No. 1 Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage won gold with a best throw of 88.55 metres. Pakistan’s reigning Olympic champion Arshad Nadeem finished fourth with 80.29 metres.
The result marked India’s second consecutive Asian Games edition with two medals in the men’s javelin. At the Hangzhou 2023 Games, Neeraj Chopra won gold with a throw of 88.88 metres, while Kishore Jena secured silver with 87.54 metres.
Neeraj, who had also won gold at the 2018 Jakarta Asian Games, was unable to defend his title in Japan after withdrawing from the remainder of the season following an injury sustained around the time of the Diamond League meet in Doha.
Yash Vir made an early statement in Monday’s final, taking the lead with his opening throw of 83.56 metres. Rohit moved to the top with his third-attempt effort of 84.35 metres, placing the two Indian athletes in the leading positions at the halfway stage.
However, Tharanga reshaped the contest with his fourth attempt. After opening with 73.53 metres and then throwing 83.34 metres, the Sri Lankan registered a foul before producing a throw of 88.33 metres to take the lead. He further improved his mark to 88.55 metres with his final attempt to seal the gold medal.
Yash Vir responded with 84.31 metres in his fourth attempt and improved to 85.14 metres in the fifth, moving ahead of Rohit and into silver-medal position. He saved his best for his final throw, reaching 85.72 metres to set a new personal best and secure second place.
The silver added to Yash Vir’s international medal record. He had won bronze at the 2026 Glasgow Commonwealth Games with a then-personal-best throw of 85.41 metres. At that event, Tharanga won gold, while Neeraj Chopra took silver.
Rohit entered the Asian Games with a personal best of 87.68 metres, achieved in Bhubaneswar in August. Despite not matching that mark in Nagoya, his 84.35-metre effort was enough to earn him the bronze medal.
Tharanga arrived at the Aichi-Nagoya Games as the leading javelin thrower among the participants in 2026. The 23-year-old Sri Lankan had set a national record of 92.62 metres in Rome in June and later recorded 92.07 metres in Zurich. Earlier this month, he won the World Athletics Ultimate Championship with a throw of 91.09 metres.
Nadeem began the final with a throw of 76.69 metres and improved to 80.29 metres on his third attempt. He fouled on his second, fourth, fifth and sixth attempts, finishing outside the medal positions.
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