Saturday brings in bad news for athletic fans. India’s javelin ace and two-time Olympic medallist Neeraj Chopra announced on Saturday that he will miss the remainder of the 2026 season, including the upcoming Diamond League final in Brussels and the Asian Games, after suffering an ankle injury.
Taking to Instagram, Neeraj Chopra revealed he suffered an ankle ligament tear during a recent training session. After consulting with his medical team and coaches, the star athlete made the tough call to pull out of upcoming competitions to focus on his recovery.
“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,” Neeraj said in a statement, shared on Instagram.
“It's disappointing, especially because I felt close to finding my rhythm. But as they say, setbacks are a part of the journey. My focus now is on recovering well and coming back even stronger. Thank you all for the love and support,” he added.
Neeraj provided the crucial update after qualifying for the Diamond League final on Friday. The 2026 Commonwealth Games silver medallist had sealed his place for the summit clash despite missing the most recent Zurich event.
After an injury-disrupted start to his year, Neeraj launched his return at June's Doha Diamond League, ranking fourth with an 85.69m throw. He picked up momentum at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, earning silver with an 85.83m mark, and finishing right behind Sri Lanka’s Rumesh Pathirage, who claimed gold at 89.75m.
The 28-year-old followed up with a standout second-place finish at the Lausanne Diamond League, where he delivered his season-best throw of 88.05m—narrowly edged out once more by Rumesh's 88.19m effort.
Despite competing in just two Diamond League legs, Neeraj's performance yielded 12 qualification points, easily securing his spot for the season-ending final in Brussels on September 5. With Neeraj now sidelined, Rumesh enters as the clear favourite.
Neeraj’s absence deals a massive blow to India’s gold medal prospects at the upcoming continental stage. Just as the star thrower was steadily hitting his stride for a fierce showdown against Rumesh, fate intervened. All eyes now turn to Yashvir Singh to see if he can rise to the challenge and carry the mantle.
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