Neeraj Chopra, who previously won gold medals at the Asian Games in Jakarta in 2018 and Hangzhou in 2023, had hoped to represent India at the upcoming Games. However, an ankle injury sustained during training derailed his plans. About a month later, Chopra openly shared his pain.
The Tokyo Olympic gold medalist wrote on LinkedIn that the Asian Games gave him the most important moments of his career, and it is difficult for him not to represent India this time. He wished good luck to the Indian team arriving in Nagoya, noting that he will miss interacting with the athletes but will continue to support them from afar.
In his post, Chopra stated that he is battling a ligament injury. After much thought, he decided not to participate in the Asian Games. He emphasized that stepping onto the field for the country's hopes is an honor, but the inability to compete causes real pain.
This is not Chopra's first experience battling injuries. In 2019, he had to postpone surgery on his right elbow. In 2022, he missed the Commonwealth Games due to a groin injury. In 2023, a muscle strain affected his season, and in 2024, he withdrew from one competition due to adductor issues. Now, the ankle injury has excluded him from both the Asian Games and the Diamond League final.
His last major competition was the Diamond League in Lodz, where he took second place behind Rumesh Pathirana of Sri Lanka.
Chopra noted that injuries are part of sports, and not all circumstances can be controlled. In such moments, the support of others is immensely valuable. He mentioned that due to training, travel, and competitions, he is often far from home, so communicating with good friends helps him stay positive and grounded.
He added that in difficult times, consultation is not always necessary. Sometimes, simply calling a friend and talking about something completely different is enough. Chopra shared that some of his friends know he is 'not in the best shape' right now, but when he calls, they don't ask about his ankle. They laugh, reminisce about old times, and plan meetings. According to Chopra, this reminds him that life is not limited to the next competition, and friends' support helps him more than he expected.
Information was also provided regarding the 2026 Asian Games: the opening ceremony will take place on September 19th in Itte-Nagoya, Japan. The ceremony will start on September 19th from 18:00 to 20:00 Japan local time. In India, the broadcast will be available from 14:30 to 16:30. The broadcast will be shown on Sony Sports 1 and Sony Sports 5, as well as Sony Sports 3 (in Hindi) and Sony Sports 4 (in Tamil, Telugu, and Kannada). Online streaming is available on the SonyLIV app and website.