An injury cuts short a season
Neeraj Chopra, the Olympic and world champion javelin thrower, has confirmed that an ankle ligament injury disrupted his campaign and forced him to end the season early. The 28-year-old, who took gold at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and silver at the Paris 2024 Olympics, picked up the problem during a training session. The injury also ruled him out of the 2026 Asian Games in Japan.[S1][S2]
Chopra said he is now working toward a return to competition and that his priority is to regain top form and produce the kind of throws he has been chasing. He pointed out that the next Olympics are still some way off, in 2028, giving him room to rebuild before the Games.[S1][S2]
Praise for India's young javelin throwers
Speaking to reporters in Mumbai at the launch of the 2026 Audi Q3, Chopra welcomed the results of Yash Vir Singh and Rohit Yadav at the 2026 Asian Games. Yash Vir took silver and Rohit bronze in the men's javelin throw, giving India two medals in the event even though Chopra and Kishore Jena were absent.[S1]
Chopra described the pair's showing as exceptional and noted that India had also collected two medals at the previous Asian Games, a gold and a silver. In his view, the rise of these younger athletes signals that the country has a deep pool of javelin talent. He wished them well and advised them to look after their fitness, avoid injuries and take pleasure in competing.[S1]
