Neeraj Chopra: Yashvir, Rohit Asian Games medals show India can succeed in javelin throw without me
Neeraj, who won gold at the Asian Games 2018 and 2022, was forced to withdraw from the 2026 Asiad after suffering an ankle ligament tear during training. | Photo Credit: REUTERS
Neeraj, who won gold at the Asian Games 2018 and 2022, was forced to withdraw from the 2026 Asiad after suffering an ankle ligament tear during training. | Photo Credit: REUTERS
Neeraj Chopra heaped praise on javelin throwers Yashvir Singh and Rohit Yadav for winning the silver and bronze medal at the Asian Games 2026, stating their achievements show the future is bright for the sport in India.
“As an athlete who has been around for a while, I get asked all kinds of questions and I do my best to answer every one of them. One of those has been - what will Indian javelin look like after I am done competing. Last night in Aichi-Nagoya, two very talented athletes answered that question. I was not competing, and yet, we had two Indians on the podium at the Asian Games,” Neeraj said in a post on LinkedIn.
Neeraj, who won gold at the Asian Games 2018 and 2022, was forced to withdraw from the 2026 Asiad after suffering an ankle ligament tear during training.
Yashvir was Neeraj’s replacement, and he finished second behind Sri Lanka’s Rumesh Pathirage, adding to his bronze from the Commonwealth Games 2026.
Rohit finished third to make it an Indian double podium in javelin throw.
ALSO READ | Yashvir, Rohit win silver and bronze for India; Pathirage gets gold
“Watching Rohit Yadav and Yashvir Singh win medals made me very proud. And I know both of them can throw even further than they did last night,” Neeraj added.
— Athletics Federation of India (@afiindia) September 28, 2026🇮🇳🇮🇳 TWO FLAGS. TWO MEDALS. ONE PROUD NATION. 🥈🥉
Yashvir Singh and Rohit Yadav lit up Nagoya with a DOUBLE PODIUM in the Men's Javelin at #AsianGames2026 🎯🔥
🥈 YASHVIR SINGH: 85.72 m, a PERSONAL BEST 💥
His last three throws all went further: 84.31 ➡️ 85.14 ➡️ 85.72
He… pic.twitter.com/VktAJ5lexp
“When I spoke to Rohit before the event, I had told him to focus on himself and give his best. The most important thing at a major competition is to enjoy the occasion. Afterwards, he told me that though he was feeling confident, the conditions had made it difficult. I was really happy to see that he had learned from his experience at the Commonwealth Games - and to show maturity to compete strongly at the Asian Games.”
“When Yashvir reached out to me to wish me the best on my recovery, I had already recommended to the Federation that he should be the one to compete in my place. It was great to see him make the most of that opportunity and finish with the best throw of his career so far,” Neeraj said.
The 28-year-old also said that while javelin is an individual sport, the wide pool of talent has made it a team sport in the country.
“What makes me happy the most is what this means for Indian javelin. For a second time, we have two Indian throwers on the podium at the Asian Games. Four of us throwers now have Asiad medals now, which shows that the pool is getting wider and deeper. And there is a reason for that.”
“I have always wanted more Indian throwers to come through and compete at the highest level and seeing Rohit and Yashvir do that is something I am very happy about,” Neeraj said.
Published on Sep 30, 2026
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