CWG 2026: Neeraj Chopra checked in after long rehabilitation from injury

Neeraj Chopra (Image credit: X) India’s star attraction Neeraj Chopra finally landed in Glasgow on Saturday morning ahead of the men’s javelin high competition.Dressed in all black with a hoodie, sweatpants and a black cap, Chopra cut a relaxed figure as he made his way to the hotel where the athletics and para-athletics contingent are staying. The Olympic and world champion returns to the CWG after missing the 2022 edition in Birmingham due to injury.The 2018 Gold Coast champion, Chopra enters Glasgow with just one competition in the last year. Since a disappointing eighth place finish at the World Championships in Tokyo last September while battling a nagging lower back injury, the 28-year-old has stayed out of competition and focused solely on rehabilitation and recovery.

CJP Jantar Mantar protest update

His only appearance since then came in the Doha Diamond League, where a throw of 85.69m earned him fourth place.Chopra, who has also dealt with ankle, shoulder, wrist and adductor issues in recent years, has taken a cautious approach to his return. “I come from Switzerland. Preparations have been good. After the DL from Doha, we increased the intensity of my training and fitness regime. This time it took recovery from injury,” said Chopra after arriving in Glasgow.Neeraj will renew his rivalry with Pakistan’s Olympic champion and defending CWG champion Arshad Nadeem, while Sri Lanka’s Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage, who cleared a world-leading 92.62m at Rome DL earlier this month, enters the competition as a man in form. Pathirage also finished ahead of Chopra in Doha. “The weather looks cloudy and rainy. I hope it warms up a bit on the day of the competition,” said Chopra.Chopra will be joined by Rohit Yadav and Yash Vir Singh in the men’s javelin. Qualifying is July 30th.