A delayed start to the season, but Indian javelin star Neeraj Chopra is finally set to return to action at the Doha Diamond League on Friday. Ahead of his competitive comeback, Chopra opened up about what he now considers an injury-related mistake at the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo, admitting it was "not a good decision" to compete while carrying a back issue.
Chopra endured a disappointing campaign in Tokyo last September, finishing eighth with a best throw of 84.03m. He later revealed that he had been struggling with a lower back injury during the event, which subsequently required a lengthy recovery period and delayed the start of his 2026 season.
"I had some injury before the Tokyo World Championships. We worked a lot and still decided to compete there, but I don't think that was a good decision because I already knew I had a problem. But it was the last competition of 2025, so I decided to compete," the 28-year-old said.
"In an athlete's life, if there is one injury, you try to protect that area and then something else starts hurting. I had issues in my ankle, then somewhere in my shoulder. So I sat down with my team and physio, and we worked on every aspect."
Chopra, however, insisted that he is now fully fit and ready to return, though he will hope the injury-forced break does not affect his rhythm.
{{/usCountry}}Chopra, however, insisted that he is now fully fit and ready to return, though he will hope the injury-forced break does not affect his rhythm.
{{/usCountry}}Doha has traditionally been a happy hunting ground for the Indian. Under the guidance of legendary coach and javelin world record-holder Jan Zelezny, it was here that Chopra finally breached the coveted 90m mark, throwing 90.23m in May last year. Despite the milestone, which made him only the third Asian to cross the barrier, Chopra believes it was far from his best throw technically.
"Technically, that throw was not that good. It was really fast from the arm, but if I had used my lower body better, it could have gone two or three metres farther. I haven't watched that video too many times," he explained.
"I actually like my qualification-round throws at the Olympics or World Championships more because they're technically better. I feel relaxed and throw farther. But in finals or major competitions, I often become too aggressive and end up forgetting my technique."
When Chopra returns to Doha this week, he will do so without Zelezny by his side. The two parted ways in January after a year-long partnership, with Chopra revealing that he felt the time had come to trust his own instincts and work with an Indian coach.
"Zelezny was a great athlete and a really good coach. We worked on a few specific things, and I'm happy that I broke the 90m mark under him. But I had to stay in one place to continue working with him, and that wasn't possible for me. After the Tokyo World Championships, we felt it was time for me to work with my own ideas and an Indian coach."
That coach is Jaiveer Chaudhary, Chopra's longtime mentor and senior from his early days in the sport.
"He is my senior. I started javelin with him, so he knows my journey from the last 15 or 16 years. He understands my training plans and everything else. Right now, we are focusing on my technique. We are not working on anything very specific or too deep. I'm simply working on my natural technique."