Yashvir Singh and Rohit Yadav take silver and bronze in Nagoya javelin final
Yashvir Singh won silver and Rohit Yadav claimed bronze in the men's javelin final at the Asian Games in Nagoya on Monday, September 28, 2026, with the competition held at Nagoya City Mizuho Park Athletic Stadium amid wet, treacherous conditions.
India secured a double podium in the event, following the 1-2 finish by Neeraj Chopra and Kishore Jena at the previous Asian Games in Hangzhou three years earlier. Neeraj Chopra withdrew from the season with an injury and informed Yashvir Singh that he would travel to Japan in his place; Yashvir learned the news while lying on his bed in Jaipur. Sri Lanka's Rumesh Pathirage won gold, producing a monster 88.55m throw in difficult conditions and arriving in Nagoya in outstanding form.
Yashvir produced a personal best of 85.72m on his final attempt, saving his best for last after opening with 83.56m. His series included progressive marks of 84.31m and 85.14m before the 85.72m PB, and he had earlier broken Neeraj Chopra's U20 national record in 2021. Yashvir held second place through the closing rounds, posting two final throws beyond 85m to secure silver.
Rohit moved into the lead on the third attempt with an 84.35m throw and went on to take bronze, registering four throws over 82m during the final. He had finished seventh at the Commonwealth Games earlier this year, subsequently altered his training approach and adjusted a left knee brace ahead of Nagoya, and carried a javelin signed by Neeraj into the competition. Rohit later said he was not happy with his attempts but was relieved to have the pressure off after winning his first major international medal.
Heavy rain had been present in Nagoya since the start of the Games, leaving a slippery runway that caused concern among throwers and contributed to slips in recent competitions such as the Commonwealth Games and the Indian Athletics Grand Prix final earlier this month. The adverse surface appeared to favour athletes with fast arm speed; Rohit used that attribute to his advantage when the runway was slippery, while others found the conditions difficult.
Several top contenders struggled before mounting late challenges: Rumesh, after a poor start, produced a massive 88.33m throw in the fourth round to secure the gold, and Arshad Nadeem also failed to produce a medal-winning mark in the same conditions. Despite those struggles at times, Yashvir and Rohit kept India on the podium through composed late-round performances.
India left Nagoya with two medals in the men's javelin, replicating a double podium three years after Neeraj Chopra and Kishore Jena finished first and second in Hangzhou, and underlining that Yashvir Singh and Rohit Yadav have established themselves among the continent's leading throwers at this stage of the Asian Games.
