The Commonwealth Games javelin final takes place on Friday in Glasgow, with defending champion Arshad Nadeem of Pakistan aiming to retain his title against a strong field led by Sri Lanka's rising star Rumesh Pathirage, who holds the world lead with a 92.62m throw.

In Thursday's qualifying round, Pathirage topped the standings with 82.84m, followed by Grenada's Anderson Peters (81.29m) and South Africa's Douw Smit (80.84m). Five of the top seven finishers from the 2024 Paris Olympics are competing in the final.

Nadeem and his long-time Indian rival Neeraj Chopra have only competed once this season due to injuries. Chopra ranks fifth with 79.61m, while Nadeem is seventh with 78.63m. India is the only country with three athletes in the final.

Pathirage has dominated the season with impressive performances: a 92.62m throw in Rome (eighth best in history), wins in Doha (88.68m) and Ostrava (86.57m), and a second-place finish in Rabat. He became Sri Lanka's first athlete to directly qualify for the World Championships in javelin.

The Nadeem-Chopra rivalry transcends sport, reflecting strained relations between Pakistan and India after a four-day war in May 2025. Chopra leads their head-to-head record 9-1.

Nadeem criticized the weather conditions: "The cold and wind made it difficult to produce a good throw. But I want to make the nation proud and win another gold medal." Chopra expressed satisfaction with reaching the final.

The final begins on July 31 at 8:15 PM local time (19:15 GMT). The Commonwealth Games, held every four years, bring together athletes from 71 nations.

Source: www.aljazeera.com