Arshad Nadeem ready to defend Commonwealth Games javelin title in Glasgow; reigning champion with 90.18m Games record

Arshad Nadeem ready for Commonwealth Games title defence despite slow season start

The Pakistani javelin ace finished ninth in his season-opener in Switzerland earlier this month but the result was underwhelming due to adverse weather conditions, says coach.

Reigning Olympic champion Arshad Nadeem is ready to defend his Commonwealth Games javelin title despite a disappointing start to his 2026 athletics season .

Arshad Nadeem opened his javelin throw campaign by finishing ninth at the Spitzen Leichtathletik Luzern, a World Athletics Continental Tour Silver meet in Switzerland, two weeks ago.

The Pakistani managed a best throw of 78.47m, failing to breach the 80m mark in his first competition since November last year.

Coach Salman Iqbal Butt, however, attributed the performance to difficult weather conditions and a lack of preparation and insisted the result was not a true reflection of the Pakistan ace’s form.

“Look, the rain didn’t allow Arshad a proper build-up before the competition and he took time to adjust to the wet surface conditions,” Butt told PTI.

Nadeem travelled directly to Switzerland after completing a training camp in the hot conditions of Lahore, making it challenging for the Pakistani athlete to adapt.

“He couldn’t settle into a rhythm in Switzerland but now is adjusting to similar conditions in Glasgow,” Butt added. “He is all keyed up for the qualifiers and wants to do well again in this competition.”

Nadeem will begin the defence of his Commonwealth Games title later this week in Glasgow, where he returns as the reigning champion after winning gold in Birmingham 2022 with a Games-record throw of 90.18m.

The 29-year-old will also renew his rivalry with India’s Neeraj Chopra , who opened his own 2026 season with a throw of 85.69m at the Doha Diamond League in June.

India’s Rohit Yadav, who threw 87.05m at the National Inter-State Senior Athletics Championships in June, and Sri Lanka’s Rumesh Tharanga, the current world leader with 92.62m, are also among the contenders at the Commonwealth Games 2026 .

Before the Games, Nadeem had acknowledged the challenge of defending his title, saying the competition would be tougher than ever.

The men’s javelin throw event at the Commonwealth Games 2026 will start with qualifying on Thursday with the final scheduled on Friday.

Picture by 2025 Getty Images

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