Neeraj Chopra out of 2026 Asian Games after ankle ligament tear ends season early

New Delhi: Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra will miss the remainder of the 2026 season, including the Asian Games in Japan, after suffering a ligament tear in his ankle during training.

The 28-year-old javelin thrower announced the decision on Saturday, saying he had sustained the injury shortly after producing his season-best throw at the Lausanne Diamond League.

“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,” Chopra said in a post on Instagram.

The injury comes at a disappointing time for Chopra, who had begun to rediscover his rhythm after a challenging first half of the season.

“It’s disappointing, especially because I felt close to finding my rhythm. But as they say, setbacks are a part of the journey,” he said.

Chopra said his priority would now be recovery, while expressing confidence about returning to competition once he is fully fit.

“My focus now is on recovering well and coming back even stronger,” he said.

His withdrawal also rules him out of the Diamond League Finals in Brussels on September 5, for which he had qualified.

Chopra's absence will be a significant blow to India's medal prospects at the Asian Games, where he was expected to be one of the country's leading contenders.

The Tokyo 2020 Olympic champion has established himself as one of the world's leading javelin throwers. He won Olympic gold in Tokyo in 2021 and followed it with a silver medal at the Paris Olympics in 2024.

In 2023, Chopra became the first Indian to win a World Championships gold medal in athletics, claiming the javelin title in Budapest.