Neeraj Chopra's 2026 season ends prematurely due to ankle ligament tear

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 statement. “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.

“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.”

The injury means Chopra will miss the Asian Games, where he was expected to spearhead India’s medal campaign in athletics. His absence will be a major setback for the country’s hopes at the continental showpiece, which begins next month in Japan.

Chopra’s 2026 campaign had been a mixed one. He returned to competition at the Doha Diamond League in June following a lengthy injury layoff and finished fourth with a throw of 85.69m. He then won silver in Glasgow with an 85.83m effort, although Sri Lanka’s Rumesh Pathirage stole the spotlight by clinching gold with a huge 89.75m throw.

The Lausanne Diamond League was Chopra’s third competitive appearance of the season and had offered signs that he was moving closer to his best. His season’s-best effort there had provided a much-needed confidence boost and was expected to serve as an important build-up to the Asian Games.

Instead, Lausanne has turned out to be his final competition of the year. Chopra will also miss the Diamond League Final. He had moved up to seventh in the qualification standings and remained in contention for a place in the season-ending event, but the ankle injury has now brought his campaign to a halt.

For Chopra, the priority is now clear: recover fully, avoid rushing his comeback and return to competition at full strength. For India, however, his absence leaves a significant void heading into the Asian Games, where the defending Olympic champion was expected to be one of the country’s biggest medal hopes.