Neeraj Chopra Reflects on Injury and Comeback
Neeraj Chopra has acknowledged that competing at the 2025 World Championships despite a back injury was not the right call. The Indian javelin star, however, is now fully fit and ready to make his season debut at the Doha Diamond League on Friday.
Chopra has not competed since the World Championships in Tokyo last September, where he finished a disappointing eighth with a throw of 84.03 meters. The two-time Olympic medalist later disclosed that he had been struggling with a lower back injury.
Reflecting on that period, Chopra said he probably should not have participated in the event. “I had some injury last year before Tokyo World Championship. We work a lot and also competed in Tokyo, but I don’t think that was a good decision because I already know that I have some problem. But that was the last competition (of 2025), so I decided to compete there,” the 28-year-old explained.
Chopra noted that recovery was not straightforward, as one injury often led to other issues. “In an athlete’s life, if there is one injury we try to save that injury and then we feel another one. I had in my ankle, then somewhere in shoulder, then I sat together with my team and my physio and then we work on every part.”
After months of rehabilitation and training, Chopra is confident ahead of his season opener. “I feel really good and fit, let’s see tomorrow,” he said.
The 90m Throw and What Could Have Been
Doha holds special memories for Chopra. It was here in May last year that he finally crossed the coveted 90m mark, throwing 90.23 meters under the guidance of legendary coach Jan Zelezny.
However, Chopra believes that throw was not technically his best effort. “Technically, that throw was not that good, it was really fast from the arm but if I had done better with my lower body, that may be (added) two to three metre more. I looked at the video not so many times,” he said.
The Indian star revealed that he actually prefers watching his qualification-round throws from major championships. “I really like my qualification round throws in the Olympics or World Championships because I feel really relaxed and throw far. But whenever I compete in finals or in main competition, I always try really hard, very aggressive, then I forget my technique. I really like to see my qualification round throws as they are technically better.”
Why Neeraj Chopra Parted Ways with Jan Zelezny
Chopra also opened up on his decision to end his association with Zelezny earlier this year after working together for a season. While praising the Czech legend, Chopra said he felt it was time to follow his own ideas and work with someone who knew him from the beginning of his career.
“Zlezny was a great athlete and he was a really good coach also. We worked on a few specific things, I’m happy that I broke 90m under him. I had to stay in one place to hold the season, that was not possible for me. So we decided after Tokyo World Championships maybe I need to work with my ideas, so work with an Indian coach.”
Chopra is now training under Jaiveer Chaudhary, who has been associated with him since his early days in the sport. “He (Jaiveer Chaudhary) is my senior. I started javelin throw with him so he knows my story from last 15-16 years. He knows my training plans and everything, so now we work on my technique. We are not working anything specific, very deep on anything. I’m working on my natural technique.”
Neeraj Chopra: Commonwealth Games Will Be as Tough as Olympics
Although 2026 does not feature either the Olympics or the World Championships, Chopra said there is still plenty to play for, with the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games coming later in the year. He expects the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow to be extremely competitive, with several world-class throwers likely to be in the field.
“All of them have thrown 90m, so Commonwealth Games will not be less (competitive) than Olympics or World Championships, it will be a really tough competition,” Chopra said. The field could include Sri Lanka’s Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage, who recently threw 92.62m, Pakistan’s Olympic champion Arshad Nadeem, reigning world champion Keshorn Walcott, and two-time world champion Anderson Peters.
Chopra also said he plans to compete at the Asian Games in Japan later this year.
Using the Doha Wind
Doha is known for producing big javelin throws, and Chopra explained how wind conditions can play a key role in helping athletes achieve longer distances. “Sometime, I also throw against the wind here that was not good. We really need to understand how we can use the wind.”
“In javelin throw, we can use wind for runway speed, it really helps. Also, if we point up (the spear) a little bit high and the wind pushes a little bit from behind the javelin, then it helps. But if you throw really flat, then I don’t think so it (wind) will help you. So, you need your mind to throw if you want to use wind.”
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