---
title: "Neeraj Chopra silver medal Glasgow Commonwealth Games 2026; comeback boosts Indian athletics"
sdDatePublished: "2026-08-07T13:14:00Z"
source: "https://www.olympics.com/en/news/neeraj-chopra-commonwealth-games-2026-silver-medal-adille-sumariwalla"
topics:
  - name: "sport"
    identifier: "medtop:15000000"
  - name: "athletics"
    identifier: "medtop:20000827"
  - name: "Olympic Games"
    identifier: "medtop:20001177"
locations:
  - "Zürich"
  - "Glasgow"
  - "India"
  - "Sri Lanka"
---


Neeraj Chopra silver medal Glasgow Commonwealth Games 2026; comeback boosts Indian athletics

Neeraj Chopra doesn't need gold medal every time to prove his greatness: Adille Sumariwalla

Neeraj Chopra doesn't need gold medal every time to prove his greatness: Adille Sumariwalla

The former AFI president urged perspective after Neeraj's Glasgow silver, pointing to his injury comeback and extraordinary medal haul while warning against writing him off.

Neeraj Chopra may have missed out on gold at the Commonwealth Games 2026 , but his silver medal in Glasgow, achieved while still working his way back from injury, only added another chapter to an already extraordinary career.

Neeraj has not won a competition since the NC Classic in July 2025. He finished second at the Diamond League Final in Zurich before placing eighth at the World Athletics Championships in September, where he competed while carrying an injury.

After a lengthy layoff, Neeraj returned at the Doha Diamond League in June and finished fourth in his first competition back.

At the Commonwealth Games, the Indian javelin throw star produced a season-best 85.83m to finish second behind Sri Lanka's Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage, who won gold with 89.75m.

For former Athletics Federation of India president Adille Sumariwalla, the result should be viewed through the prism of Neeraj Chopra's comeback rather than the colour of his medal.

"After the injury, for him to come back to this stage and win a silver medal, it's simply fantastic for Indian athletics ," Sumariwalla told PTI. "We are confident that he will keep on improving."

Neeraj Chopra himself admitted after the final that he was not yet back to peak fitness and had been cautious with his body in Glasgow. The two-time Olympic medallist said he was gradually regaining his rhythm after returning to competition this season.

Sumariwalla, who was AFI president when Neeraj Chopra won the Olympic gold at Tokyo 2020 , pointed to the 28-year-old's glittering career while arguing that his achievements have already placed him in rarefied territory in Indian sport.

"Who has given you two Olympic medals, a gold and a silver? Who has given you World Championships gold, junior world record and a gold medal? Who has given you Asian Games gold and Commonwealth Games gold and silver, and Asian Championships gold?" Sumariwalla said.

"Whatever medal he has won, we should take it as a bonus."

Glasgow marked Neeraj's second Commonwealth Games podium. He won gold at Gold Coast 2018 before missing Birmingham 2022 through injury.

The latest silver, Sumariwalla insisted, should therefore not prompt doubts over what Neeraj can still achieve as his comeback gathers momentum.

"So, when he wins a silver medal also, we must leave it at that. We must not write him off," he said. "Whatever he has to do, he will do it and he knows it. He is, after all, the greatest athlete India has produced."

Picture by 2026 Getty Images

Neeraj Chopra’s results - the numbers of a champion