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The spotlight will firmly be on Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra, who returns for the men’s javelin throw final after safely progressing through qualification with a throw of 79.61m. While the mark was enough to secure a place among the 12 finalists, the Indian superstar will need a much bigger effort if he is to reclaim the top spot on the podium. Standing in his way are defending Commonwealth champion Arshad Nadeem of Pakistan, reigning world champion Keshorn Walcott, former world champion Anderson Peters and Sri Lanka’s Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage. India will also have Rohit Yadav and Yash Vir Singh competing in the final.
The boxing arena offers another major medal opportunity, with 10 Indian boxers entering their semi-final bouts. Every boxer has already secured at least a bronze medal, ensuring India’s best-ever overall boxing medal tally at a Commonwealth Games. Friday’s contests will determine who advances to the gold-medal bouts.
Athletics will also see Tejaswin Shankar continue his decathlon campaign after finishing the first day’s events in second place, while Yashas Palaksha and Santhosh Kumar T compete in the men’s 400m hurdles final with podium ambitions.
India’s judo campaign gets underway with five judokas beginning their respective events, while the cycling team continues its challenge in the men’s 4,000m individual pursuit, keirin and elimination race.
In bowls, Navneet Singh and Dinesh Kumar take on Ian Barnes and Oliver Thompson in a key men’s pairs sectional play match. With a potentially decisive clash against England scheduled for Saturday, every point on Friday could prove crucial in determining India’s path in the competition.
