Neeraj Chopra to miss Asian Games for India after suffering ligament tear: ‘I will sit out the rest of this season’

Neeraj Chopra to miss the remainder of the 2026 season after suffering an injury during a training session.

Updated on: Aug 29, 2026, 14:40:38 IST

Written by Vishesh Roy

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Neeraj Chopra on Saturday confirmed that he would miss the upcoming Diamond League final in Brussels and the Asian Games after getting injured. The two-time Olympic medallist took to Instagram to confirm that he suffered a ligament tear in his ankle during a training session and would therefore miss the remainder of the 2026 season. India's javelin ace then further stated that he took the decision to skip the upcoming events after consulting his doctor and the rest of his team.

Neeraj Chopra to miss the remainder of the 2026 season (AP)

“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.

Also Read: Sri Lanka's Rumesh Pathirage becomes fourth javelin thrower to cross 92m mark twice; pressure mounts on Neeraj Chopra

“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.

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A post shared by Neeraj Chopra (@neeraj____chopra)

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.

How has Neeraj performed in the 2026 season?

After an injury-disrupted start, Chopra made his competitive return at the Doha Diamond League in June, where he recorded 85.69m and finished fourth. He then showed signs of improvement at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, where he produced a throw of 85.83m to win the silver medal. Sri Lanka’s Rumesh Pathirage took gold with 89.75m.

The 28-year-old then finished second at the Lausanne Diamond League meet, once again coming second to Pathirage. Neeraj produced his season best throw at this event, throwing 88.05m. However, Pathirage won the contest with a throw of 88.19m.

Despite competing in only two Diamond League meetings, Chopra accumulated 12 qualification points and secured his place in the season-ending final in Brussels. The final was scheduled for September 5, but Neeraj would now miss the event, and Pathirage would once again start as the overwhelming favourite.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Vishesh Roy
Vishesh Roy is a sports journalist with a strong focus on cricket. He began his career at Asian News International (ANI), where he covered a range of high-profile events, including the India Open, Legends Cricket League, the England–India Test series in Ahmedabad in 2021, and the inauguration of the Narendra Modi Stadium. During his tenure at ANI, he also reported extensively on domestic cricket, covering several Ranji Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy matches across the country. While cricket remains his primary beat, Vishesh has also reported on tennis, football and WWE. After a stint of over three years at ANI, Vishesh moved to NDTV, where he gained hands-on experience in digital-first journalism, with a particular emphasis on live blogs and real-time news reporting. He joined Hindustan Times in October 2024 and quickly established himself with a series of exclusive interviews and source-driven stories. Ahead of the IPL 2025 auction, Hindustan Times was the first to report that the two-day event would be held in Saudi Arabia. In the early months of his tenure, Vishesh secured interviews with leading cricketers, including Pat Cummins, Shreyas Iyer, Nitish Kumar Reddy and Rashid Latif. He has also closely tracked the rise of emerging talents such as Vaibhav Suryavanshi and Priyansh Arya by speaking to their current and childhood coaches. His background in on-field reporting has helped Hindustan Times Digital break exclusive stories on major developments, including Virat Kohli’s return to the Ranji and Vijay Hazare Trophy, IPL scheduling, and the T20 World Cup controversy involving Bangladesh and Pakistan.Read More

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