Yashvir, Rohit step out of Neeraj Chopra’s shadow with Asian Games javelin pair

India continued its hard-won legacy in javelin at the Asian Games by winning silver and bronze in Nagoya on Monday.

As the rain set in and the javelin course became treacherous, two young Indians stepped into the space left behind by Neeraj Chopra. Yashvir Singh won the silver. Rohit Yadav took the bronze. And it was another double podium for Indian javelin at the Asian Games, three years after Neeraj Chopra and Kishore Jena finished 1-2 in Hangzhou.

Asian Games 2026, September 28: Update | Medal total

Even with Neeraj in the competition, it would probably be a bit much to ask him to beat Rumesh Pathirage. The Sri Lankan star was in the form of his life and produced perhaps the most dominant season in recent memory. He took home the gold again when he produced a monstrous throw of 88.55m in challenging conditions at the Nagoya City Mizuho Park Athletics Stadium on Monday.

But this is not the story of Rumesh. You’ve probably heard enough about it this season. This is the story of two young Indian javelin stars who placed on the podium on 28th September.

And Neeraj is associated with both.

Neeraj Chopra was the first to break the news Yashvir Singh that he will go to Japan for the 2026 Asian Games. Lying on his bed in Jaipur, Yashvir jumped when he heard that an injury had forced Neeraj out of the season and the big man himself asked Yashvir to replace him at the Games.

In many ways, it was a passing of the baton to Yashvir, who broke Neeraj’s U20 national record in 2021.

Meanwhile, Rohit’s story was much simpler. After completing the disappointment 7. at the Commonwealth Games earlier this year, Rohit knew he had to make it big in the big competitions. He changed his training patterns, fixed his left knee brace and put in all the work needed for the Asian Games.

For another kick, Neeraj had his spear signed in the hope of creating a spell.

THE IMPOSSIBLE CONDITIONS OF NAGOYA

It has been raining since the very start of the Asian Games in Nagoya. So it was no surprise to the javelin throwers when they went to the final of their event in the evening.

But what are you going to do? Rain is something that probably most spearmen dread. You cannot throw the javelin properly. There is a risk when you run in and when you put your foot on the last strut. Both Yashvir and Rohit have been wary of it since they suffered slips at the Commonwealth Games and the final of the Indian Athletics Grand Prix earlier this month.

They both knew what to do.

Yashvir started very well hitting 83.56m. He remained in the lead until the third attempt when Rohit Yadav took it away from him with a throw of 84.35m.

Rohit’s quick arm speed came into play when the track was slippery and gave him a slight advantage in the last three overs.

In comparison, Rumesh, the Diamond League champion, and Arshad Nadeem, the Olympic champion, struggled.

Rumesh, the phenom that he is, overcame his poor start and produced a massive throw of 88.33m in his fourth attempt. He was assured of his gold. Under these conditions, no one has surpassed him at such a distance.

But Yashvir and Rohit tried. Both of Yashvir’s last two throws were longer than 85m, keeping him in second place as Rohit struggled to keep the javelin right. Rohit, known for his big final throws, saw the javelin slip out of his hand in the final throw, earning him a bronze medal, his first at a major competition.

Rohit later revealed that he was not happy with his attempts but was happy to take the pressure off him after winning his first major international medal.

SUCCESSORS OF NEERAJ CHOPRA

A simple question has been hanging over the Indian javelin scene for the past few years. If not Neeraj then who? Since Neeraj’s string of injuries, the question has only gotten louder.

And India saw it firsthand in Nagoya. It may not have been a repeat of what Neeraj and Kishore did in the last Asian Games, but Rohit and Yashvir made sure to make their presence felt very early in their careers.

Both have Neeraj’s blessing and there is still a long way to go before they can be talked about in the same breath as the man who changed Indian javelin forever.

However, Nagoya offered an encouraging answer to the question hanging over India’s spearhead. India didn’t have Neeraj Chopra. There were two more javelin stars on the podium.

– The end