Pakistan-India javelin rivalry returns to the global stage on Friday as reigning champion Arshad Nadeem looks to defend his Commonwealth Games **** le against a stacked field led by Sri Lanka's rising javelin phenom and world lead Rumesh Pathirage.
Pathirage leads the charge after an 82.84-metre (271-foot) throw in the qualifying round on Thursday, followed by 2022 silver medallist Anderson Peters of Grenada with an 81.29-metre (267ft) throw on his second attempt, and South Africa's Douw Smit with 80.84 metres (265ft).
Friday's final will be an epic showdown between veterans who have topped the podium in previous iterations and up-and-coming hopefuls looking for global glory after becoming national champions. Five of the top seven finishers at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games will be competing in the final.
It seems to be a changing of the guard on the South Asian front after Pathirage dominated this season with back-to-back wins. His monstrous 92.62-metre (304ft) throw at the Rome Diamond League in May would be enough to smash the Commonwealth Games record of 90.18m set by Nadeem in 2022.
Nadeem and his long-time rival from India, Neeraj Chopra, on the other hand, have only competed once ahead of the Games in Edinburgh after injury kept both away from competitions this season.
#nadeem
Pathirage leads the charge after an 82.84-metre (271-foot) throw in the qualifying round on Thursday, followed by 2022 silver medallist Anderson Peters of Grenada with an 81.29-metre (267ft) throw on his second attempt, and South Africa's Douw Smit with 80.84 metres (265ft).
Friday's final will be an epic showdown between veterans who have topped the podium in previous iterations and up-and-coming hopefuls looking for global glory after becoming national champions. Five of the top seven finishers at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games will be competing in the final.
It seems to be a changing of the guard on the South Asian front after Pathirage dominated this season with back-to-back wins. His monstrous 92.62-metre (304ft) throw at the Rome Diamond League in May would be enough to smash the Commonwealth Games record of 90.18m set by Nadeem in 2022.
Nadeem and his long-time rival from India, Neeraj Chopra, on the other hand, have only competed once ahead of the Games in Edinburgh after injury kept both away from competitions this season.
#nadeem
2 days ago
