Neeraj Chopra ruled out of 2026 Asian Games, Diamond League Finals due to ankle injury

Javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra announced on Saturday (August 29, 2026) that he would be sitting out the rest of the 2026 athletics season after suffering an ankle injury, thus ruling himself out of the upcoming Asian Games in Japan.

“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,” he said in a statement released on social media.

“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.”

The news of his injury comes just a day after he qualified for the Diamond League Finals to be held in Brussels on September 5 despite competing in just two events of the prestigious one-day meeting series.

Chopra had secured 12 points after finishing second in both the Doha and Lausanne DL events on June 19 and August 21 respectively to take the sixth spot in the standings and be eligible to compete in the winner-takes-all grand finale in Brussels.

The 28-year-old was on a comeback trail after recovering from a lower back injury that has troubled him since September last year. The injury delayed his return until the Doha Diamond League.

He was not 100% fit at the recent Glasgow Commonwealth Games but was able to win a silver with a season’s best throw of 85.83m.

(With inputs from PTI)