Neeraj Chopra ruled out of Asian Games and ends 2026 season after ankle ligament tear

Neeraj Chopra's pursuit of glory takes another hit as he is sidelined from the 2026 Asian Games due to an ankle ligament tear sustained in a recent event. This injury adds to his history of struggles, including a prolonged nine-month battle with a back ailment. Previously, he faced challenges with adductor issues that also clouded his 2024 season, leading to ongoing interruptions in his remarkable athletic journey.

Neeraj Chopra To Miss Asian Games & Diamond League Due To Ankle Ligament Tear

Former Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra has ended his 2026 season early after sustaining a ligament tear during training, the javelin thrower announced in an Instagram post on Saturday. The 28-year-old Indian, who took gold at the Tokyo Olympics and won silver in Paris, placed second in the Lausanne Diamond League with a throw of 88.05 metres last week, but suffered the injury soon after, getting sidelined for a long period for the second time in a year. “After discussions with my doctor and team, we’ve decided that I will sit out the rest of this season,” Chopra posted. “It’s disappointing, especially because I felt close to finding my rhythm. But as they say, setbacks are a part of the journey.” View this post on Instagram Chopra, who had been dealing with lower back discomfort since 2023, aggravated a disc injury in September 2025 during training. Later that month, he went into a nine-month rehabilitation period after the Tokyo World Championships, and returned in June. He had qualified for the Diamond League finals set for Brussels next month. “My focus now is on recovering well and coming back even stronger,” Chopra added. The Tokyo Olympic champion, Chopra, and his successor in Paris, Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem, faced each other in the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo in September last year. However, the highly anticipated clash of the South Asian titans failed to gain momentum in the sold-out Japan National Stadium, where Keshorn Walcott from Trinidad and Tobago won his maiden world title.

New Delhi: Star Indian javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra has been ruled out of the remainder of the 2026 season after suffering a ligament tear in his ankle during training, forcing the two-time Olympic medallist to miss next month's Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan. Alcaraz’s Return, Djokovic’s 25th Slam Bid And The Williams Sisters’ Reunion: Five Reasons To Watch The 2026 US Open The setback will also keep Chopra out of the Diamond League Finals in Brussels on September 5 and the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championships in Budapest from September 11 to 13, bringing an abrupt end to a season in which he had only recently begun to regain momentum following a delayed return from injury.Chopra announced the news in a post on his X account on Saturday, saying the decision to sit out the remainder of the season was taken after consultations with his doctor and team.pic.twitter.com/LwounijYk7— Neeraj Chopra (@Neeraj_chopra1) August 29, 2026 "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 stated in a post on his ‘X’ account on Saturday.The 2026 season had already been a challenging one for Chopra, whose return to competition was delayed until June because of a lower back injury that had troubled him since September last year.UFC Shanghai: Julia Polastri Flattens Jingnan Xiong With Brutal Head Kick In 1st Round | Video Despite not being fully fit, the Indian star managed to produce encouraging performances after his return. He won silver at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games with a throw of 85.83m before registering his season's best effort of 88.05m at the Lausanne Diamond League.The performance in Lausanne had offered signs that Chopra was rediscovering his rhythm, making the latest injury setback particularly frustrating for the reigning Olympic medallist."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.Shubman Gill’s Rakhi Celebration With Shahneel Comes With A ₹65 Lakh Luxurious Watch Twist Chopra had also earned his place in the Diamond League finale after collecting 12 points during the season. A fourth-place finish in Doha and second place in Lausanne on August 21 helped him secure sixth position in the final standings after the conclusion of the 14th and final leg of the series in Zurich on Thursday.He was also on course to compete at the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championships before turning his attention to the Asian Games in Japan later next month.Instead, Chopra will now face another spell on the sidelines as he focuses on recovering from the ankle injury and preparing for his return to competition.(Except for the headline, this article has not been edited by FPJ's editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)

The 28-year-old was on a comeback trail after recovering from a lower back injury that has troubled him since September last year

India's two-time Olympic medallist Neeraj Chopra on Saturday announced that he has suffered a ligament tear in his ankle during training, ruling him out of the upcoming Asian Games.