'Wanted To Achieve What Neeraj Couldn't': Rohit Yadav Rues Chasing Rumesh Pathirage's Throw
'Wanted To Achieve What Neeraj Couldn't': Rohit Yadav Rues Chasing Rumesh Pathirage's Throw Published By, Last Updated: August 03, 2026, 13:01 IST Rohit Yadav says
'Wanted To Achieve What Neeraj Couldn't': Rohit Yadav Rues Chasing Rumesh Pathirage's Throw Published By, Last Updated: August 03, 2026, 13:01 IST Rohit Yadav says overconfidence cost him a medal in the javelin throw event of the 2026 Commonwealth Games. Rohit Yadav finished 7th in the final. (PTI Photo) Rohit Yadav believes an aggressive approach cost him a podium finish at the Commonwealth Games, with the Indian javelin thrower conceding on Monday that his attempt to chase the winning mark, and even surpass compatriot Neeraj Chopra, turned out to be the wrong move. Rohit, 27, ended seventh in the men’s javelin final earlier this week after recording a best throw of 81.56m. Sri Lanka’s Rumesh Pathirage claimed the gold medal with 89.75m, while India’s Neeraj Chopra (85.83m) and Yashvir Singh (85.41m) secured the silver and bronze respectively. CWG 2026: Full Coverage | Medals Tally Reflecting on the final after returning from Glasgow on Monday, Rohit said his second-round effort convinced him he was in the fight for a medal, prompting him to take greater risks with his remaining attempts.
“My second throw was around 81m (81.56m) and I felt I would at least make the best eight. After that I decided to go all out," Rohit told news agency PTI after returning to New Delhi from Glasgow on Monday. He says his ambition to outdo both the eventual champion and Chopra affected his judgement. “It wasn’t that I thought I couldn’t match Rumesh after he threw 89.75m. My mindset was that I wanted to achieve what even Neeraj couldn’t do that day. That thinking made me a little overconfident," he said after being received by a handful of Athletics Federation of India (AFI) officials. The gamble did not pay off. Rohit failed to improve on his second-round mark, registering 73.70m and 79.55m in his fourth and sixth attempts, while his third and fifth throws were fouls. The Indian thrower also pointed to testing weather and competition conditions, saying strong headwinds and a worn runway complicated execution throughout the event.
“The wind was very strong. Neeraj kept telling us to release the javelin a little lower because of the conditions, but at times I ended up pushing it down too much. The runway had also deteriorated, so several things were not really in our favour," he said. Although he left the Commonwealth Games without a medal, Yadav viewed the experience as important preparation for next month’s Asian Games in Japan. His 87.05m effort at the Inter-State Championships in June remains the longest throw by an Indian this season. “The biggest lesson is that we have to prepare ourselves and be ready for every kind of conditions. There shouldn’t be a situation where our body doesn’t respond because of rain, wind or anything else. We should be able to perform well in all conditions," said Rohit. “My focus is on making those adjustments before the Asian Games, where I hope to convert the lessons from the Commonwealth Games into a stronger performance." News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit About the Author Feroz Khan Feroz Khan has been covering sports for over 12 years now and is currently working with Network18 as Principal Correspondent.
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