Indian javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra revealed that he had been suffering from a back injury for the past two weeks before the World Championships finals in Tokyo. A senior official from the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) confirmed that Chopra had informed them about the issue while training in the Czech Republic. Chopra, who was defending his 2023 gold medal, admitted that the problem limited his training and affected his form during the competition. His coach, Jan Zelezny, also monitored his recovery before the event.
Chopra’s Struggles in Tokyo Finals
Chopra endured a tough outing in the finals on Thursday. He recorded a best throw of 84.03m and exited after the fifth round, finishing in eighth place overall. The two-time Olympic medallist explained that he had not been able to train for two weeks due to the injury and underwent daily rehabilitation sessions after reaching Tokyo. Despite pushing himself to compete, Chopra said he could not control the situation as he normally does in big events.
While Chopra had a disappointing result, debutant Sachin Yadav gave India a reason to cheer. Yadav registered a personal best of 86.27m in his very first attempt and secured the fourth position.
AFI officials said Yadav’s performance shows India’s growing strength in javelin at the global stage. Yadav’s effort marked one of the most impressive results by an Indian debutant in recent times, further boosting the country’s medal hopes for upcoming tournaments.
Chopra Reveals How Injury Happened
Chopra detailed how the injury occurred during training on September 4 in Prague. He was doing shot put exercises when a sudden jolt on his left side caused pain and restricted his movement. An MRI scan revealed issues with his disc, and he underwent regular treatment with machines after reaching Tokyo. Chopra said he was not sure if he could compete but eventually decided to participate after testing his fitness in practice sessions.
Chopra Looks Ahead to Next Season
Speaking after his elimination, Chopra accepted the result and promised to focus on recovery and preparation for the next season. He said that sports involve both victories and defeats, and injuries are part of an athlete’s journey. He added that he will continue working on rehabilitation to regain full fitness. Chopra assured his fans that he will return stronger and thanked his support team and the AFI for standing by him during the difficult phase.
Swastika Sruti is a Senior Sub Editor at NewsX Digital with 5 years of experience shaping stories that matter. She loves tracking politics- national and global trends, and never misses a chance to dig deeper into policies and developments. Passionate about what’s happening around us, she brings sharp insight and clarity to every piece she works on. When not curating news, she’s busy exploring what’s next in the world of public interest. You can reach her at [swastika.newsx@gmail.com]
