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.

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.

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.

Neeraj Chopra is set for a packed September, with three major competitions lined up against some of the world’s best javelin throwers.

Neeraj, who has returned from a long lay-off due to injury, registered a season-best throw of 88.05m, India’s best throw of the season.

5 September | Diamond League Final, Brussels

After the Zurich Diamond League results, India’s golden boy Neeraj Chopra has secured his place in the Diamond League Final in Brussels, the final leg of the 2026 Diamond League season.

He has qualified alongside five other javelin throwers so far: Rumesh Pathirage, Anderson Peters, Keshorn Walcott, Curtis Thompson, Julius Yego and Neeraj Chopra.

13 September | World Athletics Ultimate Championships, Budapest

Neeraj Chopra’s second-place finish with 88.05m at the Lausanne Diamond League has moved him into the top eight in the World Athletics rankings for qualification to the World Athletics Ultimate Championships.

His Lausanne performance earned him:

88.05m:1216 points
2nd place: +120 points
Total: 1336 points

That pushed Neeraj into the seventh qualifying position.

The final list of athletes eligible for entry through the World Rankings will be determined on 3 September 2026.

28 September | Asian Games, Aichi-Nagoya

Neeraj is expected to represent India in the men’s javelin at the Asian Games, where he will be aiming for another major title.

He is expected to face strong competition from Olympic champion Arshad Nadeem and Sri Lankan javelin sensation Rumesh Pathirage.

Three major competitions. Three elite fields. One very busy month for India’s golden boy.

Rohit Yadav delivered the standout performance of the World Athletics Continental Tour Silver meet in Bhubaneswar, winning the men’s javelin throw with a sensational 87.68m — a new lifetime best and one of the biggest throws in Indian athletics history.

The Uttar Pradesh thrower produced the massive mark on his sixth and final attempt, finishing well clear of compatriot Yashvir Singh, who secured silver with 82.94m.

Men’s Javelin Throw — Final

🥇 Rohit Yadav 🇮🇳 — 87.68m
🥈 Yashvir Singh 🇮🇳 — 82.94m
🥉 Sumedha Ranasinghe 🇱🇰 — 80.29m
4️⃣ Arshdeep Singh 🇮🇳 — 78.82m
5️⃣ Anand Singh 🇮🇳 — 78.34m
6️⃣ Ravi Rathushan 🇱🇰 — 77.24m
7️⃣ Douw Smit 🇿🇦 — 76.79m

Rohit’s winning throw places him second on India’s all-time list, behind only Neeraj Chopra’s national-record 90.23m. It also represents a major leap forward for the 2026 season, with Rohit adding nearly a metre to his previous personal best of 87.05m.

The 87.68m effort also puts Rohit among the leading javelin throwers globally this season, making his performance one of the biggest highlights of India’s first-ever World Athletics Continental Tour Silver-level meet.

Yashvir Singh further strengthened India’s dominance in the event by crossing 82 metres for silver, while Sri Lanka’s Sumedha Ranasinghe completed the podium with an impressive 80.29m.

Rohit’s breakthrough performance adds another exciting chapter to India’s growing strength in men’s javelin throw. With Neeraj Chopra, Rohit Yadav and Yashvir Singh all producing world-class marks this season, India’s javelin depth has rarely looked stronger.