India's Neeraj Chopra out for season with ankle injury

NEW DELHI: India’s two-time Olympic javelin medallist Neeraj Chopra said on Saturday that he has been ruled out for the rest of the 2026 athletics season due to an ankle injury. “It’s disappointing, especially because I felt close to finding my rhythm,” he said in a statement. “But, as they say, setbacks are part of the journey.” Chopra, 28, the poster boy for the sport in the world’s most populous country, took silver at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in July. He had been expected to defend his javelin throw title at the Asian Games 2026 in Japan’s Aichi-Nagoya next month. “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 (Switzerland),” Chopra said in a social media post. “Unfortunately, shortly after, I sustained a ligament tear in my ankle during training,” he added. “After discussions with my doctor and team, we’ve decided that I will sit out the rest of this season.” The javelin star won an Olympic gold in Tokyo in 2021 and silver in Paris in 2024. Chopra’s 2021 victory was India’s first Olympic track and field gold, and it made him an overnight national icon.