CWG 2026: Neeraj Chopra loses gold medal to Sri Lankan fast bowler, has to be satisfied with silver

Rumesh Pathirage Javelin Throw: The silver medal is not giving up Neeraj Chopra's chase. In the Commonwealth Games 2026 too, he had to settle for a silver medal. The one who beat him is none other than a cricketer. Yes, a former Sri Lankan fast bowler has won a gold medal by defeating Neeraj Chopra in his own game. Sri Lanka's Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage has done this feat

Neeraj Chopra won the silver medal with a throw of 85.83m, while Sri Lanka's Pathirage won the gold medal with a throw of 89.75m. The good thing for India is that the bronze medal has also come in India's account, where Yashveer Singh finished third with a distance of 85.41 meters

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Neeraj Chopra loses to fast bowler

Sri Lankan javelin thrower Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage was born and brought up in Sri Lanka. He played cricket as a child and bowled at a speed of more than 130 km/h in his younger days. He has played cricket up to the college level, but on his father's advice, Pathirage tried his hand at javelin throw. His father himself has been a shot put athlete.

23-year-old Pathirag was participating in the Commonwealth Games for the first time and this is the first time he has set a target for gold. India's Rohit Yadav was seventh and Paris Olympics gold medalist Arshad Nadeem was ninth with a throw of 77.41 meters

No gold has won since 2023

The last 3 years have been very difficult for Neeraj Chopra. He has not won a gold medal in any major competition in the last 3 years. His last gold medal came at the 2023 World Championships. He then had to settle for second place at the 2024 Paris Olympics and the 2024 Diamond League. He also finished second in the 2025 Diamond League and in the 2025 World Championships, Neeraj could not win a medal.