Newly appointed Italy head coach Roberto Mancini. Picture: AFP
Defending champion Arshad Nadeem progressed to the boys’s javelin throw ultimate on the 2026 Commonwealth Video games, regardless of falling wanting the automated qualification mark in troublesome climate situations on Thursday.
A robust headwind made scoring massive distances troublesome all through the qualification spherical, with not one of the 18 rivals reaching the required 84-metre automated qualifying commonplace.
Pakistan’s Olympic and Commonwealth champion made the proper begin with a gap throw of 78.63m, which in the end proved sufficient to safe his place in Friday’s ultimate.
The 29-year-old then recorded a foul together with his second try earlier than ending with 75.65m on his third throw.
Though unable to enhance on his opening effort, Arshad comfortably superior as one of many high 12 qualifiers after no athlete achieved the automated mark.
Sri Lanka’s Rumesh Pathirage led the qualification standings with a greatest throw of 82.84m, forward of Grenada’s reigning world champion Anderson Peters, who managed 81.29m.
South Africa’s Douw Smit (80.64m) and England’s Benjamin East (80.38m) had been the one different athletes to clear the 80-metre mark.
India’s Neeraj Chopra, Arshad’s long-time rival, additionally progressed after bettering from a gap throw of 76.28m to 79.61m together with his second try.
India can have three athletes within the ultimate after Rohit Yadav certified with 78.37m, whereas Yashveer Singh secured his place with a greatest effort of 78.36m.
Pakistan’s Muhammad Yasir Sultan didn’t qualify for the medal occasion.
After fouling his opening try, Yasir threw 71.42m within the second spherical earlier than bettering to 74.36m together with his ultimate effort, leaving him exterior the highest 12 qualifiers.
The boys’s javelin throw ultimate will happen on Friday, 31 July, with the occasion scheduled to start at 7:45pm Pakistan Customary Time.
Pakistan first competed on the Commonwealth Video games in 1954 and has received 82 medals total, together with 27 gold, 27 silver and 28 bronze.
The nation’s most profitable marketing campaign in 50 years got here on the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Video games, the place an eight-medal haul noticed Pakistan end 18th within the medal desk.
Arshad was the standout performer in Birmingham, producing a Video games file throw of 90.18m to win gold and develop into Pakistan’s first athletics champion on the Commonwealth Video games since 1962.
The defending champion will now try and retain his title when the ultimate takes place on Friday.
