Indian javelin throw superstar Neeraj Chopra will compete in the Asian Games in Japan in September-October in his bid to defend the title, Athletics Federation of India's (AFI) selection committee chairman Adille Sumariwalla confirmed on Saturday. The 28-year-old two-time Olympic medallist is recovering from a lower back injury he sustained before the Tokyo World Championships in September 2025.
Chopra's Season Start and Recovery
Chopra made a late start to the season at the Doha Diamond League, where he finished fourth with a throw of 85.69m. Despite the injury, Sumariwalla expressed optimism about his performance. "Yes. He (Chopra) will participate both in the Commonwealth Games and the Asian Games. He has qualified already and he is recovering. He has done 86 m (85.69 m) in his very first event, which is fantastic," Sumariwalla told PTI in an exclusive interview. "He won a gold with 88m (in 2022 Asian Games in China), so he is already close to 86m, then we see no reason why he will not do well in both the Commonwealth Games and the Asian Games."
Asian Games and Commonwealth Games Schedule
The Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya are scheduled from September 19 to October 4, while the Commonwealth Games will be held in Glasgow from July 23 to August 2. The AFI's selection committee is expected to name the Indian team for the Asian Games on Sunday, the last day of the ongoing National Inter-State Senior Athletics Championships in Bhubaneswar. Chopra had already confirmed participation in the Commonwealth Games, and his inclusion in the Asian Games team solidifies his double commitment.
Competition and Key Rivals
Chopra won gold in the last Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, in 2023 with a throw of 88.88m. In Aichi-Nagoya, he is expected to face rising Sri Lankan star Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage, who breached the 90m mark earlier this year and won two Diamond League titles, including in Doha where Chopra finished fourth. Pakistan's Olympic champion Arshad Nadeem could also be in the mix, making the men's javelin throw highly competitive. Nadeem, the reigning Asian and Commonwealth Games champion, pulled out of the Doha Diamond League on June 19 after organisers initially announced his name.
AFI's Flexibility on Pre-Competition Events
The AFI has left it to Chopra to decide whether he wants to participate in any event before the Commonwealth Games. "We have left it to him (about competition before CWG), we are saying his medical team, his coach, everyone will sit together and work out which are the best competitions he needs to compete," said Sumariwalla, a former AFI president and current vice president of World Athletics. "The important thing was for him to qualify, which he did. Now the important thing is that how we make him peak at the Commonwealth Games as well as in the Asian Games." Chopra was earlier named in the 32-member Indian team for the Commonwealth Games.
