New Delhi, Aug 29: In a setback for India’s athletics campaign at the Asian Games, Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra on Saturday announced that he will miss the remainder of the 2026 season, including the Continental showpiece in Japan, after suffering a ligament tear in his ankle during training.
Chopra said he sustained the injury shortly after producing a season-best throw at the Lausanne Diamond League.
“After a period of hard work, I finally felt I was gaining the momentum I had been looking for with a season’s best throw in Lausanne.
“Unfortunately, shortly after, I sustained a ligament tear in my ankle during training. After discussions with my doctor and team, we’ve decided that I will sit out the rest of this season,” Chopra said in a post on Instagram.
The 28-year-old javelin thrower said the decision was disappointing as he felt he was “close to finding my rhythm”, but added that his immediate focus would be on recovery.
“My focus now is on recovering well and coming back even stronger,” he said.
While his focus now shifts towards rehabilitation, the athlete has made it clear that he intends to return to competition after recovering fully from the injury.
“It’s disappointing, especially because I felt close to finding my rhythm. But as they say, setbacks are a part of the journey,” he said.
“Thank you all for the love and support,” Chopra added.
The injury means he will also miss the Diamond League Finals in Brussels on September 5 though he had qualified for it.
Chopra’s withdrawal is a major setback for India at the Asian Games, where he was expected to be one of the country’s biggest medal hopes.
The Tokyo Olympics gold medallist had endured a challenging phase in the build-up to the second half of the season, but his performance in Lausanne had offered encouragement that he was finding his rhythm again.
Chopra has been one of the most consistent performers in world javelin over the past few years, winning Olympic gold in Tokyo in 2021 and a silver medal at the Paris Games in 2024.
He also became the first Indian to win a World Championships gold in athletics when he triumphed in Budapest in 2023.(PTI)
