India’s top javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra is currently recovering from an injury. Neeraj last participated in the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, where he shocked fans by failing to make the top three, let alone win the event.
The star javelin thrower from India, who broke the 90m mark last season, finished eighth in the 12-member field. Neeraj looked frustrated throughout the contest and was eliminated after the first three throws.
Adille Sumariwalla, speaking on behalf of the Athletics Federation of India, revealed that Neeraj suffered two injuries just before the competition, resulting in a poor performance from the javelin star. Neeraj’s best throw in the competition was 84.03m, much less than his season’s best throw of 90.23m.
“He (Chopra) is taking a break. He is recovering from his injuries. He had two injuries. We are focusing on the rehabilitation, I think that is the most important thing, not the opening,” AFI spokesperson Adille Sumariwalla told reporters on Saturday, January 3, while announcing the qualification points for the Asian Games.
“Hats off to him for taking part in the World Cup. I saw his injuries, swelling and he still took part. We told him don’t do it. He said, ‘No sir, I’ll try’. He never said a word like ‘I couldn’t bowl because of my injury’,” Sumariwalla added.
“Neeraj Chopra is just one. I’ve seen people who haven’t done a thousandth of Neeraj Chopra’s shows talking so much that they want this, they want that. But the poor guy doesn’t say anything. Hats off to him,” he concluded.
Neeraj exempted from qualification process for Asian Games
The Athletics Federation of India has also released the qualification standards for the Asian Games to be held in Japan later this year. An athlete will be required to attend a state meet or two AFI events in order to be considered for selection, unless they receive permission to miss the event.
The National Inter-State Senior Athletics Championships to be held in Bhubaneswar from July 8 to 12 will be the last major event before the Asian Games, which are scheduled from September 19 to October 4.
Chopra will be the only athlete exempted from participating in domestic events for Asian Games selection.
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Issued by:
Kingshuk Kusari
Published on:
January 3, 2026
