Neeraj Chopra still recovering from injuries but has planned his 2026 calendar, says Sumariwalla

Neeraj Chopra, India’s star athlete in men’s javelin throw, is still recovering from injuries sustained last season, but he has already planned his 2026 calendar with coach Jan Zelezny, said Adille Sumariwalla, Chairman of the Selection Committee and former President of the Athletics Federation of India.

During a media interaction in New Delhi where AFI announced the qualifying standards and the selection criteria for this year’s Asian Games, Sumariwalla provided the latest update on Neeraj, the former Olympic and World Champion.

The 28-year-old Neeraj has been out of action since a surprising eighth-place finish at World Athletics Championships in Tokyo last season. Later, the Indian revealed that he had been suffering from back issues in the weeks leading up to the global event.

READ | Athletics Federation of India announces qualifying standards, selection criteria for Asian Games

“Jan Zelezny has Neeraj’s complete calendar. He is just taking a break. He is also recovering from his injuries. He had two injuries. Hats off to him that he took part in the world championship. I have seen his injury and the swelling. He still took part. Never said a word to anybody that he couldn’t throw because of his injury. We told him not to participate but he said he will try,” said Sumariwalla.

“There is only one Neeraj Chopra. People with not even one-thousandth of the performance of Neeraj Chopra talk so much. They want this or that but this poor guy doesn’t say anything.”

When asked if Neeraj has told the federation about his season-opening meet, Sumariwalla said not yet. “Just now, the focus is on rehabilitation and injury. That is the most important thing,” he said.

Published on Jan 03, 2026