World Championships finalist Sachin Yadav is set to miss the 2026 Commonwealth Games after suffering a major injury setback.

Reports also suggest that he could miss the upcoming Inter-State Championships, a development that would significantly dent his chances of making the Indian team for the 2026 Asian Games.

Sachin has been struggling with an elbow injury since the Indian Athletics Series-3 in New Delhi. He is expected to undergo an MRI scan soon, with reports indicating that the injury worsened following his appearance at the Rome Diamond League.

The 2025 World Championships finalist has struggled to find his best form this season, crossing the 80m mark only once in three competitions:

  • Indian Athletics Series-3: 2nd place – 81.95m
  • Federation Cup: 5th place – 79.07m
  • Rome Diamond League: 8th place – 79.18m

So far, no Indian javelin thrower has managed to breach the Commonwealth Games 2026 qualification standard of 82.61m. The closest has been Shivam Lohakare, who won gold with a lifetime best throw of 81.71m, missing the mark by just 90 centimetres.

A Remarkable 2025 Season

The current struggles stand in stark contrast to Sachin Yadav’s extraordinary 2025 campaign.

He began the season by winning gold at the National Games with a personal best throw of 84.39m. He later claimed silver at the 2025 Asian Championships, finishing behind Olympic champion Arshad Nadeem.

In total, Sachin competed in ten competitions during the 2025 season and crossed the 80m mark on seven occasions.

His finest moment came at the 2025 World Athletics Championships, where he produced a lifetime best throw of 86.27m in the final to finish fourth. He narrowly missed out on a historic medal by just 40 centimetres, with USA’s Curtis Thompson taking bronze with 86.67m.

Among India’s Elite

Sachin’s rise was further recognised when he was included in the Athletics Integrity Unit’s (AIU) Registered Testing Pool (RTP) on 2 January 2026 for the Q1 2026 RTP list.

Alongside Neeraj Chopra, Sachin became one of only two Indian athletes to be included in the elite testing pool, highlighting his status among the country’s premier track and field athletes.

Concerns Over India’s Javelin Depth

Sachin’s injury has now raised serious questions about the state of Indian men’s javelin heading into one of the most important years in recent memory.

The year 2026 features two major multi-sport events—the Commonwealth Games and the Asian Games. Yet, despite India’s recent success in the discipline, no Indian javelin thrower has achieved the Commonwealth Games qualification standard of 82.61m this season.

This has sparked concern not only among Indian fans but also among observers of the global javelin circuit.

Indian Men’s Javelin Throwers: Season Bests in 2026

As of now, only four Indian javelin throwers have managed to cross the 80m mark this season:

Rank Athlete Season Best
1 Rohit Yadav 82.17m
2 Sachin Yadav 81.95m
3 Shivam Lohakare 81.71m
4 Yash Vir Singh 81.61m

The Decline of Established Names

Several elite Indian javelin throwers have also struggled for form.

Sahil Silwal, Vikrant Malik, and Kishore Jena have all failed to cross the 80m mark for nearly two years. The last time all three breached the barrier was at the 2024 Inter-State Championships.

At that competition:

  • Sahil Silwal returned from injury to register a lifetime best of 81.81m and won gold.
  • Vikrant Malik claimed silver with 81.74m.
  • Kishore Jena secured bronze with 80.84m.

Kishore Jena’s Lost Form

Kishore Jena’s decline has been particularly striking.

The Indian thrower took the javelin world by surprise in 2023, producing a string of personal bests and finishing fifth at the World Athletics Championships, where three Indians reached the final and Neeraj Chopra won India’s maiden World Athletics title.

Jena’s form continued at the 2023 Asian Games, where he pushed Neeraj Chopra all the way and produced a sensational throw of 87.54m, which remains his lifetime best and India’s all-time second-best performance.

The historic result saw two Indians finish on the podium:

Rank Athlete Country Best Throw
1 Neeraj Chopra India 88.88m
2 Kishore Jena India 87.54m
3 Roderick Genki Dean Japan 82.68m

Looking Ahead

India’s men’s javelin programme has witnessed unprecedented success over the past few years, led by Neeraj Chopra and supported by a growing pool of talented throwers. However, injuries, inconsistent performances, and the dip in form of several established names have created uncertainty at a crucial juncture.

With the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games fast approaching, the coming months could prove decisive in determining whether India can sustain its momentum in one of its most successful athletics disciplines.