Neeraj Chopra sees India's javelin legacy grow, hails India's Asian Games medals
Neeraj Chopra has long wanted to see more Indian javelin throwers competing at the highest level. On Monday, even as an injury kept him out of the Asian Games, he got a glimpse of the depth he has been hoping Indian athletics would build.
Chopra reacted with pride after Yashvir Singh won silver and Rohit Yadav bronze in the men's javelin at the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, giving India a double podium finish in his absence.
“I have always wanted more Indian throwers to compete at the highest level, and seeing Rohit and Yashvir win medals at the Asian Games is something I am very happy about,” Chopra said in his reaction. He congratulated both throwers and Indian athletics.
The significance of the result was not lost on Chopra. He had been expected to lead India's javelin challenge at the Games before an ankle ligament injury ended his 2026 season.
Instead, Yashvir, who was brought into the squad as Chopra's replacement, produced a personal best of 85.72m for silver, while Rohit threw 84.35m for bronze. Sri Lanka's Rumesh Pathirage won gold with 88.55m. Neeraj Chopra celebrates India's javelin medallists at the Asian Games 2026. (Image: Screengrab from X/@Neeraj_Chopra1) A PODIUM WITHOUT CHOPRAChopra's absence had left a sizeable gap in India's athletics campaign. The 28-year-old had been chasing another Asian Games gold after winning the title in 2018 and 2022, but an ankle ligament tear suffered during training ruled him out.
His injury came shortly after he had produced a season-best 88.05m at the Lausanne Diamond League. It also ended his hopes of competing at the Diamond League Final.
Yet the competition Chopra missed ended with two Indian throwers standing alongside each other on the podium.
Yashvir's inclusion itself carried a connection to Chopra. After suffering the injury, Chopra called Yashvir and told him about his situation, paving the way for the 25-year-old to be considered as his replacement.
Once in the competition, Yashvir made the opportunity count. He opened with 83.56m and briefly led the field before Rohit moved ahead with his 84.35m third-round effort. Yashvir eventually regained second place with his 85.72m final throw.
Rohit's medal also marked a significant return after an elbow injury and surgery had disrupted his progress. He had thrown 87.05m at the National Inter-State Championships in June before arriving in Japan.THE LEGACY HE WANTED
The result also offered a different picture of Indian javelin from the one that has dominated the sport for more than a decade.
Chopra's rise transformed expectations around the event in India. He became the country's first Olympic athletics champion at Tokyo 2020, followed that with a silver at Paris 2024 and established himself among the world's leading javelin throwers.
But his reaction to Yashvir and Rohit's medals pointed towards something beyond his own record.
India had gone from relying overwhelmingly on Chopra to producing two medal-winning performances at a major championship even without him in the field.
For Chopra, that was the part worth celebrating.
His absence meant he could not defend his Asian Games title. But the performances of Yashvir and Rohit gave him evidence of the depth he has wanted to see around him.
The medals belonged to Yashvir and Rohit. Chopra's reaction was about what their performances could mean for Indian javelin beyond his own career.- Ends
