Neeraj Chopra's 2026 Season Mapped Out Despite Ongoing Injury Recovery

Two-time Olympic medallist Neeraj Chopra is currently focused on rehabilitation after an injury-plagued 2025 season.

However, his competition calendar for 2026 is already set, according to Adille Sumariwalla, chairman of the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) selection committee.

The 28-year-old javelin star has been sidelined since the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo last September, where he finished a surprising eighth.

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This result was a rare setback for Neeraj Chopra, marking his first time finishing outside the top two in any event since the 2021 Kuortane Games.

Neeraj Chopra, who entered the Tokyo championships as the reigning world champion after his 2023 victory in Budapest, later disclosed that persistent back issues had compromised his preparations.

Sumariwalla confirmed on Saturday that the athlete's primary focus remains on getting back to full fitness.

"Jan Zelezny (Neeraj Chopra’s coach) has a complete calendar," Sumariwalla stated as per Olympics.com. "He is just taking a break. He is also recovering from his injuries. He had two injuries."

The AFI official also revealed that the federation had advised Chopra against competing in Tokyo due to his physical condition. However, the athlete insisted on participating despite the pain.

"I have seen his injury and the swelling. He still took part," Sumariwalla explained. "He never said a word to anybody that he could not throw because of his injury. We told him not to participate, but he said he would try."

When asked about Neeraj Chopra's first scheduled competition for the 2026 season, Sumariwalla noted that no official announcement has been made, reiterating the immediate priority.

"At the moment, the focus is only on rehabilitation and injury management. That is the most important thing," he said.

The Tokyo World Championships concluded a busy 2025 for Chopra, marking his seventh and final event of the year.

Despite the disappointing finish, his season included four victories and two second-place finishes, one of which was at the prestigious Zurich Diamond League Final.

He also set a new personal best and national record with a throw of 90.23m at the Doha Diamond League.