The two-time Olympic medallist, who claimed the title at the 2018 Gold Coast but missed the Birmingham 2022 Games through injury, returned to the Commonwealth stage in the men's javelin throw qualification round at Glasgow.
Neeraj Chopra Advances to Javelin Final
Chopra opened his qualification campaign with a throw of 76.28m, placing him sixth after the first round. He improved significantly on his second attempt, registering 79.61m to climb to fifth in the standings and near the 80m mark. The automatic qualifying mark for the final was set at 84.00m.
Compatriot Rohit Yadav opened with 77.04m, placing him fifth initially, and improved to 78.37m on his second attempt. Yash Vir Singh produced his best throw on his final attempt, registering 78.36m.
Tejaswin Shankar's Swift Return
Indian decathlete Tejaswin Shankar made a swift return to competition after withdrawing from the high jump final earlier this week due to injury. He opened his men's decathlon campaign with 870 points after clocking 10.96 seconds in the 100m, finishing sixth in Heat 2 and seventh overall after the opening discipline.
Weightlifting Campaign Concludes
India's weightlifting campaign concluded on Day 7, with Birmingham 2022 bronze medallist Lovepreet Singh competing in the men's +110kg category and Martina Devi Maibam taking the platform in the women's +86kg. The Indian lifters had already secured an impressive seven-medal haul in Glasgow.
Other Athletics Events
Shot put national record holder Tajinderpal Singh Toor targeted a long-awaited Commonwealth medal in the men's final alongside Samardeep Singh Gill. Parul Chaudhary returned to the track in the women's 5000m final, looking to bounce back after a disappointing outing in the 3000m steeplechase.
Vishal TK and Animesh Kujur were also in action in the men's 400m and 200m semi-finals respectively, while Nidhi Rani and Seema Punia contested the women's discus throw final.
Track Cycling Debut
Track cycling got underway for India, with Rojit Singh Yanglem, David Beckham Elkatohchoongo and Ronaldo Singh Laitonjam leading the challenge in the men's team sprint. Para cyclist Lisha Das competed in the women's C4-C5 4000m individual pursuit as India chased more success across disciplines.
Star-Studded Javelin Field
The men's javelin throw qualification featured a star-studded field including Olympic champion Arshad Nadeem of Pakistan, two-time world champion Anderson Peters of Grenada, former world champion Julius Yego of Kenya, and Olympic medallist Keshorn Walcott of Trinidad and Tobago. Nadeem moved ahead of the Indian contingent with a season-best 78.63m.
Chopra will now aim to secure his second Commonwealth Games gold medal in Friday's final, adding to his impressive collection of Olympic, World and Asian Games titles.
With reporting from Olympics.com and AFP.
