Commonwealth Games 2026: Neeraj Chopra back on podium with Silver whi…

Neeraj Chopra returned to the Commonwealth Games podium with a silver medal in the men’s javelin throw, while young Yashvir Singh produced a personal best effort to claim bronze as India finished with two medals in the event on Friday.

Competing in difficult cold and windy conditions, Chopra registered his best throw of the season with an effort of 85.83m in his second attempt. The distance was enough to secure second place behind Sri Lanka’s Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage, who lived up to expectations by winning the gold with a superb throw of 89.75m. noplasticplease.life

Yashvir emerged as one of the biggest stories of the event. Making his Commonwealth Games debut, the 24-year-old was lying seventh before the final round but delivered a brilliant throw of 85.41m in his last attempt to move into the bronze medal position. It was also a new personal best, improving on his previous mark of 83.72m.

Also Read: Who is Sharmila Dhankar? India’s first para athlete to win GOLD in para athletics

Chopra opened with a throw of 80.97m before producing his best effort of 85.83m in the second round. He briefly led the competition until Pathirage launched his winning throw of 89.75m in the same round. Chopra’s next three attempts measured 81.29m, 80.73m and a foul, while his final two throws were also fouls as he could not improve further.

Pathirage’s winning effort came under challenging weather conditions and fell just 25 centimetres short of the 90m mark. Interestingly, apart from his winning throw, all of the Sri Lankan’s other attempts were fouls. The 23-year-old has enjoyed an outstanding season, having already crossed the 90m mark earlier this year with a personal best of 92.62m.

The silver medal marked another positive step in Chopra’s comeback after a lower back injury that had kept him out of action since September last year. He returned to competition only at the Doha Diamond League in June and admitted he is still working towards regaining full fitness.

“I can’t say fitness is like before. But I’m getting there slowly. There is still time for the Asian Games. I will compete in Diamond League before that. There will be more improvement. Will improve slowly,” Chopra said after the event.

Reflecting on his performance, Chopra was satisfied despite missing out on gold.

“Although we always want the national anthem to play but I did my season best and comeback is going okay, there are other competitions as well. I am happy,” he said.

He also spoke about the difficult conditions.

“The weather was better than yesterday. It was good in the starting but later it became cold and there was wind. I also had a one-go throw only. I thought it will go further but it didn’t fly. I thought I could have pushed myself further. I’m trying to get into my rhythm. I am not able to do that well in these conditions, I like hot weather… Indian blood.”

Yashvir was delighted after producing the best throw of his career to stand alongside Chopra on the podium.

“I am happy that I could do my personal best and also get a medal in such conditions,” he said.

India’s third competitor, Rohit Yadav, finished seventh with a best throw of 81.56m. The event also saw athletes from the Indian subcontinent sweep all three medals, while Pakistan’s defending champion and reigning Olympic gold medallist failed to make the final rounds after managing only 77.41m. World champion Keshorn Walcott of Trinidad and Tobago finished sixth with a best throw of 82.55m.

Harsh Singh engraved his name in Indian judo history after becoming the country’s first-ever male judoka to win a Commonwealth Games gold medal. The 23-year-old produced a disciplined display to upset Australia’s Joshua Katz in the men’s 60kg final and claim the biggest title of his career on Friday.

In what is his debut appearance at the Commonwealth Games, Harsh showed confidence and maturity against one of the most experienced judokas in the field. Katz entered the final as the favourite, having represented Australia at the Olympic Games and won several Oceania Championships and Australian national titles.

He had also claimed a bronze medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.

The gold medal contest remained evenly balanced for most of the four-minute bout, with neither judoka able to find a breakthrough. Harsh stayed patient, defended well and waited for the right opportunity.

With just 41 seconds left on the clock, the Indian made his move. He executed a clean waza-ari, earning the decisive score of the contest. From there, Harsh held his nerve and defended strongly until the final buzzer to complete a famous victory.

The result was one of the biggest upsets of the judo competition. Harsh never looked overawed despite facing a far more experienced opponent. His calm approach and tactical discipline helped him secure India’s second judo gold medal of the day.

Also Read: India at Commonwealth Games 2026: Medal tally of Indian contingent ahead of action on August 1

The victory also carried extra significance considering Katz’s strong judo background. Both his parents were former judokas, while his father had served as Australia’s national judo coach at previous Olympic Games. Harsh, however, remained focused on his own game and delivered a performance that will be remembered as a landmark moment for Indian judo.

Harsh Singh’s background

Harsh Singh was born on May 24, 2003, represents Delhi, and trains at the Inspire Institute of Sport (IIS), Bellary. He has established himself as one of India’s leading judokas in the men’s under-60kg category through consistent performances in national competitions and selection trials. He has also represented India regularly on the IJF World Tour.

Before his Commonwealth Games triumph, Harsh finished seventh at the 2026 Qazaqstan Barysy Grand Slam and represented India at the 2026 Senior Asian Championships, 2026 Tashkent Grand Slam, 2025 Tokyo Grand Slam, and 2025 Hong Kong Asian Open. These performances helped him gain valuable international experience before winning gold in Glasgow.

WWE SmackDown Highlights: WWE SmackDown took place at the Resch Center in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The show served as the final SmackDown before SummerSlam.

Damian Priest and R-Truth defended the WWE Tag Team Championship against the AAA Tag Team Champions, the War Raiders.

The show also featured the final qualifying match for the Interim WWE Women’s Championship Ladder Match at SummerSlam.

WWE SmackDown Highlights

GUNTHER Wrecks Finn Balor and Sami Zayn

Finn Balor reflected on winning the Universal Championship at SummerSlam 2016 before injury forced him to give it up. He said this year’s SummerSlam was his chance to finally get back to the top. Sami Zayn interrupted and argued that he deserved to be in the WWE Championship match. The two exchanged heated words over who deserved another title opportunity before agreeing to settle it at SummerSlam. GUNTHER then attacked both men from behind and called them jokes. Nick Aldis rushed out and brawled with GUNTHER before security separated everyone, ending the chaotic confrontation.

Chelsea Green & Tiffany Stratton vs the Baddies (B-FAB & “Michin” Mia Yim)

The Baddies defeated Chelsea Green and Tiffany Stratton in a tag team match. Stratton started fast and teamed with Green to control the early action. After the break, Tiffany mounted a strong comeback and hit a cartwheel Alabama Slam on Michin. However, the momentum quickly changed when The Baddies regained control. They stopped Green from hitting the Killswitch and finished her with the BTA for the pinfall victory. After the match, Charlotte Flair arrived and helped Green and Stratton clear the ring. Flair then confronted Jade Cargill and knocked her to the floor with a big boot.

Damian Priest & Ron “the Truth” Killings (WWE) vs War Raiders (Erik & Ivar) (AAA)

Damian Priest and Ron “The Truth” Killings faced War Raiders in a winner-take-all match for the WWE and AAA Tag Team Championships. Both teams traded heavy offense before the match broke down into a wild brawl. The action became uncontrollable when both teams shoved referee Charles Robinson, forcing the official to stop the match with no result. The fight continued around ringside until the Sons of Haku arrived. They attacked both teams, with Talla chokeslamming Killings and Priest, while Tama took out Erik. Haku then joined his sons in the ring as they raised both tag team championships to end the segment.

Trick Williams and Baron Corbin Heated Exchange

Trick Williams called out Baron Corbin and accused him of returning to SmackDown just to target him. He mocked Corbin and challenged him to fight immediately. Corbin refused, saying Trick had been handed opportunities throughout his career and lacked patience. He warned that he would take the championship at SummerSlam and claimed Trick would not be able to stop him. Trick fired back by saying Corbin was only looking for one last payday and promised he would not win. Corbin walked away, while the crowd backed Trick by loudly chanting, “Whoop That Trick.”

JD McDonagh vs Rey Fenix (c) (AAA Cruiserweight Championship)

Rey Fenix retained the AAA Cruiserweight Championship by defeating JD McDonagh. Both wrestlers traded fast-paced offense and several near falls in a competitive match. Dominik Mysterio repeatedly interfered to help McDonagh, but the referee eventually ejected him from ringside. As Dominik headed backstage, Danhausen and the Minihausens chased him away after another confrontation. The distraction allowed Fenix to regain control. He followed up with corner double knees and finished McDonagh with the Mexican Muscle Buster to retain the AAA Cruiserweight Championship.

Cody Rhodes and CM Punk End SmackDown in Wild Brawl

Cody Rhodes and CM Punk had one final confrontation before their championship match. Punk interrupted Cody’s entrance and said it was time to stop talking about friendship and focus on who was the better wrestler. Cody replied that the rivalry had become personal and said the title represented the true Best in the World. Punk admitted he did not want to lose a friend but would choose the championship if forced. Cody then challenged him to settle things immediately. The two erupted into a wild brawl around ringside before referees and officials finally pulled them apart to end the show.

FAQs

Q. Who attacked Finn Balor and Sami Zayn on SmackDown?

A. GUNTHER attacked both Finn Balor and Sami Zayn.

Q. Who won the AAA Cruiserweight Championship?

A. Rey Fenix retained the title against JD McDonagh.

Q. How did SmackDown end?

A. Cody Rhodes and CM Punk ended the show with a wild brawl.

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New Delhi [India], August 1 (ANI): President Droupadi Murmu congratulated Indian athletes Neeraj Chopra and Yash Vir Singh for securing a silver and bronze medal, respectively, in the men’s javelin throw at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games 2026, praising their “splendid performances" that have brought pride and joy to the nation.

In a post shared by Rashtrapati Bhavan on X, the President said, “Heartiest congratulations to Neeraj Chopra on winning a Silver Medal and Yash Vir Singh on securing a Bronze Medal in the Men’s Javelin Throw at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games 2026. Your splendid performances have brought immense pride and joy to the nation. This memorable double podium finish reflects your unwavering dedication and exceptional sporting excellence. May your pursuit of excellence continue to inspire generations and earn greater accolades for the country."

President Murmu also congratulated Tejaswin Shankar for winning the bronze medal in the decathlon, describing his achievement as “another historic first for Indian athletics".

“Heartiest congratulations to Tejaswin Shankar on winning the Bronze Medal in the Decathlon at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games 2026. With this outstanding performance, you have become the first Indian to win a medal in the decathlon at the Commonwealth Games. The nation is immensely proud of this exceptional achievement. May you continue to scale new heights of success and bring greater glory to the country," the post said.

The President also lauded India’s performance in judo and congratulated Yamini Maurya for winning the silver medal in the women’s 57 kg event.

“India’s remarkable run in judo continues! Warmest congratulations to Yamini Maurya for clinching the Silver Medal in Women’s 57 kg Judo event at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games 2026. Your podium finish has earned India its third judo medal at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games 2026, reflecting the country’s growing excellence in the sport. Your resilience, determination, and fighting spirit have made the nation proud. May your inspiring journey encourage many more young judokas to pursue excellence," she said. (ANI)

(This content is sourced from a syndicated feed and is published as received. The Tribune assumes no responsibility or liability for its accuracy, completeness, or content.)

East Zone selectors appointed Vaibhav Sooryavanshi as vice-captain for the Duleep Trophy. This move aims to develop his leadership skills by observing the captain closely. Experienced players like Abhimanyu Easwaran were not considered for this specific role. Ishan Kishan will lead the team as captain, with Sooryavanshi as his deputy. Both players are seen as future prospects for India's cricket setup.