Will Arshad Nadeem participate at Commonwealth Games 2026?
The 23rd Commonwealth Games will take place from July 23 to August 2 in Glasgow, Scotland
Defending champion Arshad Nadeem has confirmed that he will compete at the Commonwealth Games 2026 in Glasgow, where he will look to retain the men’s javelin throw title he won four years ago in Birmingham.
The reigning Olympic champion has been training in Lahore ahead of the Games and revealed that he will first compete at an international athletics meet in Switzerland before travelling to Scotland. The event will serve as his only competition of the 2026 season before he takes on a strongly contested javelin field in Glasgow.
Nadeem enters the Commonwealth Games carrying the weight of expectation after a remarkable run over the last few years. At the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, the Pakistani thrower produced a Games record effort of 90.18m to win gold.
aHis title-winning throw came in the absence of India’s Neeraj Chopra, who missed the Games after suffering a groin injury at the World Athletics Championships.
Since then, the rivalry between Nadeem and Chopra has become one of the biggest storylines in world athletics. Although the Indian holds a 10-1 advantage in head-to-head meetings, it was Nadeem who delivered the most memorable victory by claiming the Olympic title at Paris 2024 with a record-breaking 92.97m throw.
The two South Asian stars have faced each other only once since that Olympic final – at the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo. Neither athlete was at his best, with both finishing outside the medals.
The road to another Commonwealth title
Defending his Commonwealth crown, however, will be far from straightforward. The men’s javelin competition is expected to feature one of the strongest fields in the history of the Games.
Besides Chopra, Nadeem will have to contend with the strong progression of Sri Lanka’s Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage, who has emerged as one of the world’s leading throwers this season. Pathirage produced a world-leading 92.62m effort at the Rome Diamond League before winning the Doha Diamond League.
Additionally, Rohit Yadav will also represent India; having achieved a personal best throw of 87.05m earlier this season, he will further strengthen an event that is already highly competitive.
Unlike many of his rivals, Nadeem is yet to open his 2026 season. However, the 28-year-old athlete is confident about defending his title and has confirmed that he will further fine-tune his preparations at an athletics meet in Switzerland before arriving in Glasgow.
With four throwers capable of crossing the coveted 90-metre mark, the men’s javelin final promises to be one of the marquee events of the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games.
Arshad Nadeem’s schedule at Commonwealth Games 2026
- Day 1 (July 27): 2:30 PM to 6:00 PM, 11:00 PM to 2:30 AM
- Day 2 (July 28): 2:30 PM to 5:00 PM, 11:00 PM to 2:30 AM
- Day 3 (July 29): 2:30 PM to 5:30 PM, 11:00 PM to 2:30 AM
- Day 4 (July 30): 2:30 PM to 6:00 PM, 11:00 PM to 2:30 AM
- Day 5 (July 31): 2:30 PM to 6:15 PM, 11:00 PM to 2:45 AM
- Day 6 (August 1): 2:30 PM to 6:15 PM, 11:00 PM to 3:00 AM
Where and when will Commonwealth Games 2026 take place?
The Commonwealth Games 2026 will be held in Glasgow, Scotland, from July 23 to August 2.
When will Arshad Nadeem compete at Commonwealth Games 2026?
He has confirmed he will compete in the men’s javelin throw at the tournament. His event will take place at Scotstoun Stadium during the athletics schedule (July 27-August 1).
For more updates, follow Khel Now on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube; download the Khel Now Android App or IOS App and join our community on Whatsapp & Telegram.
Ashwathy is a freelance sports writer with a background in athletics, sports science, and sports management. She specializes in Olympic sports—particularly athletics—and is passionate about athlete storytelling, performance analysis, and competition coverage.