Neeraj Chopra out of Asian Games 2026 due to ankle injury; ‘disappointing, because I felt close to finding my rhythm’

In a major setback to India's medal hopes, two-time Olympic medallist Neeraj Chopra has been ruled out of the Asian Games 2026 and the Diamond League Finals, after the star javelin thrower sustained an injury during his training. A gold medallist in the 2022 edition, Neeraj was among the top medal contenders in Aichi-Nagoya.

Taking to Instagram, Neeraj wrote that he sustained the injury while training. “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,” he wrote in an Instagram post on Saturday.

Returning after a long injury layoff in 2026, Neeraj competed in three events - Diamond League (Doha and Lausanne) and the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. The 27-year-old Indian finished second in Lausanne with a season-best throw of 88.05m. He missed out on the top spot by just nine centimetres to Sri Lanka's Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage.

“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,” added Neeraj in his post further.

Neeraj Chopra focuses on recovering well

What made the injury more disappointing for Neeraj is that it came at a time when he was close to finding his rhythm. “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.

Notably, in Doha and at the Glasgow CWG, Neeraj failed to cross even the 86m mark. While in Doha he recorded a 85.69m throw for a fourth-place finish, the Indian javelin star won a silver medal at CWG 2026 with a throw of 85.83m. His absence will be a major setback for India's athletics.

The Olympic champion has been one of India's biggest sporting stars in recent years, having won Olympic gold at the Tokyo Games in 2021 and a silver medal at the Paris Olympics in 2024.

Neeraj Chopra out of Diamond League finals

Earlier on Friday, Neeraj was awarded a place in the men's javelin throw final event at the Diamond League Finals, despite missing the Zurich leg that took place on Thursday. Neeraj was among the 12 participants to have qualified with the event taking place September 4-5 in Brussels.

The star athlete enjoys competing in the Diamond League, with five meet wins and a title win in the final. In the 2022 final in Zurich, he took the top spot with a best throw of 88.44 m, becoming the first Indian to win the Diamond League champion trophy.