Who is Yashvir Singh? He is the 24-year-old javelin thrower from Haryana who won silver at the Asian Games 2026 in Nagoya with a personal best of 85.72m. Two months earlier, Yashvir Singh won bronze at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, his first international medal.

He only reached Nagoya because he replaced the injured Neeraj Chopra. This page therefore tells his whole story so far: his medals, his personal bests, his 2026 season throw by throw, and the father who taught him the event.

Who is Yashvir Singh? The short answer

Yashvir Singh is an Indian javelin thrower, also written as Yash Vir Singh. He was born on 22 October 2001, according to World Athletics, and he competes for Rajasthan at national level.

His 2026 season was the breakout year of his career. He improved his personal best four times, won Commonwealth Games bronze and then won Asian Games silver. Meanwhile, he shared both podiums with fellow Indians: Neeraj Chopra in Glasgow and Rohit Yadav in Nagoya.

Asian Games 2026: javelin silver with his last throw

The men’s javelin final took place in Nagoya on Monday 28 September. Yashvir opened with 83.56m to take the early lead. He then threw 84.31m and 85.14m in rounds four and five. Finally, on his sixth attempt, he launched a personal best of 85.72m to move past Rohit Yadav into second place.

Sri Lanka’s Rumesh Pathirage won gold with 88.55m, also on his final throw. As a result, India finished with silver and bronze, and Pakistan’s Olympic champion Arshad Nadeem finished fourth. Full marks are on our Asian Games 2026 javelin results page.

The medal also came after a late call-up. Yashvir was not on India’s original long list, but the AFI named him in place of the injured Chopra on 3 September. In addition, AFI president Bahadur Singh Sagoo said the federation picked him because he was a Commonwealth Games medallist.

Commonwealth Games 2026: bronze on his last attempt

In Glasgow, Yashvir only scraped into the final. Strong headwinds hit the qualifying round on 30 July, and he finished 10th with 78.36m. As a result, India had three throwers in a Commonwealth Games javelin final for the first time.

The final came a day later, on 31 July. Yashvir sat seventh after five rounds, with a best of 81.33m. Then, with his last throw, he hit a personal best of 85.41m and jumped to bronze. Anderson Peters and Douw Smit still had final throws left, but neither could pass him.

The bronze put him in rare company. He became only the third Indian man to win a Commonwealth Games javelin medal, after Kashinath Naik in 2010 and Chopra. Every Indian result from Glasgow is on our CWG 2026 page.

Download PDF: CWG 2026 complete results

Yashvir Singh’s 2026 season, throw by throw

His rise came in steps. For example, his best went from 82.57m in 2025 to 82.93m in Ludhiana and 83.72m in Bhubaneswar in June. Then, at the two biggest meets of the year, he added almost two more metres.

At the Inter-State Championships, his 83.72m also cleared the Asian Games mark of 77.87m. However, Rohit Yadav won that day with 87.05m, and Yashvir did not make the first Asian Games list. Results from all of India’s javelin throwers are on our men’s javelin page.

Yashvir Singh personal bests

All of his best senior throws came in 2026. The marks below are from his World Athletics profile and our race reports.

His 85.72m is more than three metres beyond his 2025 best. In addition, he threw past 85m twice in two months, both times with his sixth and final throw. Meanwhile, his first 80m throw came back in 2022, when his 82.13m made him only the 12th Indian over 80m, the AFI reported.

Who is Yashvir Singh’s coach? From Bhiwani to Nagoya

Yashvir grew up in Devsar village near Bhiwani. His father, Rai Singh, was a national-level javelin thrower and a Railways champion who later became a coach. He began coaching his son in 2015, so that Yashvir would not repeat the mistakes he made without a coach.

However, javelin was not his first sport. He liked basketball first, and he started throwing with a bamboo javelin before he moved to proper equipment. He then won national U18 titles in 2017 and 2018 and junior national silver in 2019.

In January 2021, at the U20 Federation Cup in Bhopal, he threw 78.68m and broke Chopra’s meet record of 76.91m. Then, in 2025, he won the Indian Open in Chennai and the Arzumanov Memorial in Tashkent. He also finished fifth at the Asian Championships in Gumi with 82.57m and made his World Championships debut in Tokyo.

Who is Yashvir Singh beyond the track? Family, Jaipur and sacrifice

Although he was born in Haryana, Yashvir built his career in Rajasthan. He trained regularly at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur. In addition, he has said a real javelin was too expensive at first, so he practised with a bamboo one and sometimes got hurt.

After Glasgow, he called the bronze the result of years of work and family sacrifice. “This is my first international medal, and I am overjoyed,” he told NNIS SPORTS. He also urged young athletes in Rajasthan to stay disciplined, follow their diet and listen to their coaches.

Meanwhile, the man he replaced in Nagoya is one of his biggest supporters. Chopra praised him after Glasgow and pointed to his 85m throw as proof of India’s javelin depth.

Follow Yashvir Singh on Athletics India

His full stats and results are on Yashvir Singh’s athlete profile. In addition, every Indian result from Nagoya is on our Asian Games 2026 hub.

India’s Tanya Chaudhary finished fourth in the women’s hammer throw final at the Asian Games 2026 in Nagoya, setting a new personal best of 65.35m with her final attempt.

Her teammate Anushka Yadav also delivered a strong performance, finishing fifth with a best throw of 64.56m.

The results placed two Indian athletes inside the top five in a competitive continental final.

Tanya Chaudhary Sets Personal Best With Final Throw

Tanya saved her best performance for the final round of the competition.

On her sixth and last attempt, she produced a throw of 65.35m, setting a new personal best.

The effort secured her fourth place and highlighted her ability to deliver under pressure.

Her final-round improvement brought her close to the medal positions, although she ultimately finished outside the podium.

Anushka Yadav Finishes Fifth

India’s Anushka Yadav also produced a consistent performance in the women’s hammer throw final.

She recorded a best mark of 64.56m, securing fifth place.

Her result ensured that India had two athletes among the top five finishers in the event.

Zhang Jiale Wins Gold With Asian Record

China’s Zhang Jiale won the gold medal with an outstanding throw of 78.27m, setting a new Asian record.

Her compatriot Zhao Jie claimed silver with 74.83m, while Joy Iris McArthur secured bronze with 68.42m.

Women’s Hammer Throw Final Results

India Places Two Athletes in the Top Five

Tanya Chaudhary’s personal best and Anushka Yadav’s fifth-place finish marked a strong showing for India in the women’s hammer throw.

Although neither athlete reached the podium, both finished among the top five in a highly competitive field.

Tanya finished fourth with a personal best of 65.35m, while Anushka placed fifth with 64.56m at the Asian Games 2026.

Nagoya: Damneet Singh finished ninth with a best throw of 67.56m, while Praveen Kumar placed 11th with 65.24m in the men’s hammer throw final at the Asian Games. Both Indians were making their debut at the continental Games.

For Damneet, the result marked a disappointing end to a season in which he had demonstrated the ability to compete at a significantly higher level.

Damneet Singh Falls Short of 70m Mark

The 22-year-old produced the biggest breakthrough of his senior career in March at the Indian Open Throws, where he crossed the 70m mark for the first time, recording three throws beyond the distance in the same competition.

He opened with 70.64m, followed by 70.21m on his third attempt and 70.04m on his fifth.

The performance also took him beyond the Asian Games qualification standard of 69.12m, marking a significant milestone for a thrower working to establish himself at the senior level.

However, maintaining that level proved difficult in the months that followed.

Eighth Place at Németh Pál Memorial in Hungary

In August, Damneet competed at the Németh Pál Memorial, a World Athletics Continental Tour Silver-level meeting in Hungary.

He finished eighth in the eight-athlete final with a best throw of 66.67m.

His series included 66.67m, 65.92m, 65.52m and 66.14m, followed by two fouls.

Croatia’s Matija Gregurić won the competition with a throw of 74.85m.

Damneet Finishes Ninth at Asian Games

At the Asian Games, Damneet once again fell short of the 70m mark.

His opening throw of 67.56m remained his best effort, leaving him outside the top eight and ending his competition after three attempts.

Praveen Kumar, who was also making his Asian Games debut, recorded 65.24m to finish 11th.

Both Indians fell short of the performances they would have wanted in the final.

Damneet’s 70m Throws Offer Encouragement

Despite the disappointing result in Nagoya, Damneet’s season includes a significant marker of progress.

His three throws beyond 70m at the Indian Open Throws in March demonstrated that he has the distance required to compete at this level.

The next challenge is consistency.

The Asian Games marked Damneet’s first appearance at a major continental championship. While his ninth-place finish was not the result he would have wanted, his performances earlier in the season showed that the 70m barrier is within his reach.

For now, the men’s hammer throw final in Nagoya ends with 67.56m and ninth place for Damneet Singh, while Praveen Kumar finishes 11th with 65.24m.

Neither performance was enough to reach the top eight, but the experience gives both first-time Asian Games competitors another reference point as they continue to develop.

Aichi-Nagoya: Manpreet Kaur became the third Indian woman to win an Asian Games medal in the shot put, securing bronze at the Aichi-Nagoya Games on Friday with a best throw of 17.17m.

The 36-year-old Railways athlete finished behind Chinese duo Song Jiayuan and Zhang Linru, who claimed gold and silver respectively. Manpreet’s bronze adds her name to a select group of Indian women who have stood on the Asian Games podium in the event.

Before Manpreet, only Barbara Webster in 1951 and Kiran Baliyan in 2023 had won Asian Games medals in the women’s shot put for India. Both athletes had also secured bronze.

Manpreet did not have the smoothest start to the competition. Her opening throw measured 16.32m, leaving her with work to do as the field began to establish itself. However, she gradually found her rhythm, improving her mark with each successive attempt.

The breakthrough came with her fourth throw, when she finally crossed the 17-metre mark with 17.17m. That effort proved crucial and effectively secured her place on the podium.

For Manpreet, the medal comes after a long career at the top level of Indian shot put. Her lifetime best remains 18.06m, a mark she produced in 2022 that was also the Indian national record at the time.

Her 2026 season had already shown signs of a strong return to form. At Indian Series-5 in Sangrur, Manpreet won gold with a season-best 17.33m, producing what was then the best throw by an Indian woman in nearly two years. Her performance was also her best throw in almost three years.

The Indian national record has since moved beyond that mark. Abha Khatua’s 18.41m, recorded in 2024, stands as the current national record according to the information provided.

At the Asian Games, however, Manpreet’s task was not simply about chasing her personal best. She had to remain competitive against a strong Chinese contingent, with Song establishing control of the competition from the very first round.

Song led after her opening throw and strengthened her position with a season-best 19.40m on her second attempt. The performance continued China’s extraordinary dominance in the event at the Asian Games, with the country claiming its 13th consecutive women’s shot put gold.

Zhang Linru completed the Chinese one-two, leaving Manpreet to fight for bronze.

India also had another representative in the final, with Krishna Jayasankar Menon finishing fifth. Her best effort measured 16.57m, putting two Indian athletes inside the top five of the competition.

For Manpreet, the result marks another significant chapter in a career that has spanned more than a decade. At 36, she was able to produce when it mattered most, recovering from a modest opening throw and building her series before finding the 17-metre mark with her fourth attempt.

The 17.17m was well short of her lifetime best of 18.06m, but it was enough to deliver an Asian Games medal and place her alongside Webster and Baliyan as the only Indian women to have won a shot put medal at the continental Games.

After Kiran Baliyan’s bronze in 2023, Manpreet has now ensured that India has won medals in the women’s shot put at consecutive Asian Games.

For the Railways athlete, Friday’s bronze was a reward for persistence and a reminder of her longevity in Indian athletics.

Manpreet Kaur — 17.17m, Asian Games bronze.

At 36, she has added another major medal to her career and written her name into the history of Indian women’s shot put.

Delhi’s Nirbhay Choudhary produced the biggest performance of his career at the Indian Athletics Series Final, breaking the men’s hammer throw National Record with a lifetime best of 71.02m in New Delhi.

Choudhary surpassed the previous national record of 70.73m, set by Neeraj Kumar in 2016, ending a 10-year wait for a new national mark.

From 66.67m to a National Record

The record-breaking throw represents a remarkable improvement for the 21-year-old.

At Indian Athletics Series-14, Choudhary won the hammer throw with 66.67m. The AFI results listed 70.73m as the standing national record at the time.

Just weeks later, he added more than four metres to that mark. He also crossed the 70m barrier for the first time in the competition.

His latest performance underlines the progress he has made since his junior years. He had already established himself as one of India’s leading young hammer throwers.

A Unique Journey Into Hammer Throw

Choudhary’s development is particularly intriguing.

According to the information provided, he trains at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Delhi. He has also largely learned the technical aspects of hammer throwing through YouTube, without a specialised hammer throw coach.

That makes his progression to a 71.02m national record even more notable.

By Sushant Singh

Neeraj Chopra has ended his 2026 season due to an ankle injury, meaning he will miss the upcoming Asian Games 2026.

He informed everyone through a social media post, announcing that a ligament tear in his ankle suffered during training will bring his 2026 season to an early and painful end.

Three major competitions were still on his calendar:

• 5 September – Diamond League Final
• 13 September – World Athletics Ultimate Championship
• 28 September – Asian Games 2026

Why Neeraj Chopra’s Absence Matters

The Asian Games are particularly important from India’s perspective, as the Indian athletics contingent came back with a 100+ medal haul in the last edition, with athletics bringing home the biggest share — 29 medals in total.

In men’s javelin, India won two medals, with Neeraj Chopra winning gold and Kishore Jena taking silver.

But with Neeraj Chopra now ruled out, the big question is: who will represent India in men’s javelin?

Rohit Yadav

Rohit Yadav has already been named in the provisional Asian Games squad.

He recently produced a massive lifetime best of 87.68m, making him India’s second-best thrower of all time. His 87.68m is currently the third-best throw in Asia this season.

His name was already in the provisional squad, but the question now is: who will replace Neeraj?

Yashvir

Yashvir could be another strong option.

He finished second in the Asian Games qualifier at the Inter-State Championships with 83.72m and later won Commonwealth Games bronze with a lifetime best of 85.41m, currently the fourth-best throw in Asia this season.

However, Yashvir’s name is not included in the current Asian Games long list.

Now, it remains to be seen whether AFI, SAI or IOA can replace Neeraj’s name with Yashvir’s ahead of the Asian Games.

The good news is that the Athletics Federation is yet to finalise the team for the Asian Games 2026, which means there could still be some changes.

But whether they can replace Neeraj’s name with Yashvir’s — that is something we will have to wait and find out.