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Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra has ended his 2026 season early after sustaining a ligament tear in his ankle during training, ruling him out of the upcoming Asian Games.
Chopra, who had recently regained momentum with a season's best throw in Lausanne, said he took the decision to sit out the remainder of the season after discussions with his doctor and team. "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 posted on Instagram. The ace javelin thrower expressed disappointment at the setback but said his focus would now be on recovering fully and returning stronger. "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. Chopra finished second at the Lausanne Diamond League with a season-best throw of 88.05m, missing out on the top spot by just nine centimetres. Sri Lanka's Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage continued his impressive 2026 campaign, winning the event with an 88.14m effort. Before Lausanne, Chopra had competed in just two events in 2026 -- finishing fourth at the Doha Diamond League and second at the Commonwealth Games -- without crossing the 86m mark in either competition. Chopra's withdrawal comes after he appeared to be finding his form following a challenging period. His absence will be a major setback for India's athletics contingent at the Asian Games. 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. (ANI)
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