Neeraj Chopra’s season over! Ligament tear rules him out of DL Final, Asian Games
Indian javelin star Neeraj Chopra has ended his 2026 season early due to a ligament tear in his ankle sustained during training. This injury forces him to withdraw from the upcoming Diamond League Final and the Asian Games in Japan.
Why it matters
Chopra's absence is a significant blow to India's medal prospects in major international athletics competitions.
NEW DELHI: India’s javelin star Neeraj Chopra’s 2026 season has come to a premature end after the Olympic and world champion suffered a ligament tear in his ankle during training, ruling him out of next month’s Diamond League Final and Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan.Chopra made the announcement on Saturday, revealing that the injury occurred shortly after he produced a season’s best throw at the Lausanne Diamond League. Following consultations with his doctor and support team, the 28-year-old decided against taking any further competitive risk and will now focus on rehabilitation.The setback comes at a particularly frustrating juncture for Chopra, who had begun to feel that he was finally rediscovering the consistency and momentum he had been searching for this season.“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,” Chopra said in a…
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in