CWG 2022: Medal favourite Neeraj Chopra ruled out with injury

26.07.2022 - 10:51 timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Neeraj, who recently became just the second Indian after Anju Bobby George to win an Athletics World Championship medal with a silver medal finish had complained of groin pain and stiffness after his event at the Worlds.

Rajeev Mehta, secretary general, IOA, said, "Team India javelin thrower Mr. Neeraj Chopra had called me earlier today from the US to convey his inability to take part in the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games owing to fitness concerns.

Following his participation in the 2022 World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Mr. Chopra had an MRI scan done on Monday and, based on it, he has been advised a month’s rest by his medical team".

Neeraj had won the gold medal in men's javelin at the last edition of the CWG in the Gold Coast, Australia in 2018. Chopra was expected to be India's flag bearer at the Games, starting on Thursday. "We have a meeting later in the day to decide the new flag-bearer," India team's chef de mission Rajesh Bhandari said.

athletics Neeraj Chopra Team India Usa Australia India Birmingham

Read more on the timesofindia.indiatimes.com

On August 7 this year, on the first anniversary of Neeraj's historic gold medal finish at the Japan National Stadium when he sealed the deal with a majestic throw of 87.58m, the first National Javelin Day was celebrated in the country. The Athletics Federation of India (AFI) had earlier announced that from now on August 7 will be commemorated as National Javelin Day. According to AFI President Adille J Sumariwalla, this step has been taken to promote the sport at the grassroots level to encourage more and more kids to take up javelin, with Neeraj as their shining idol. As many as 32 State and Union Territory units affiliated to the AFI organised Javelin competitions on August 7. The competitions were held in various categories like, U-14, U-16, U-18, U-20 and Men's. The U-14 category of the Delhi State competition was won by 13-year-old Taksh Lohiya.

CWG 2022: Neeraj Chopra's heroics inspired young athletes' medal rush

Young Indian athletes to the fore at CWGBENGALURU: A series of superb performances by the Indian jumpers, led by triple jumpers Eldhose Paul and Abdulla Aboobacker and middle distance runner Avinash Sable, powered India to the 12th spot in the athletics medals table, sixth by total, and made sure that the absence of Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra was not a big talking point. As an India team coach put it on the eve of the Games, Chopra's triumph in Tokyo galvanised a few Indian athletes and also broke the mental barrier of the legendary one hundredth of a second agony suffered by Milkha Singh and PT Usha. Instead, these athletes found that extra ounce of energy to peak at the right time and to produce their personal bests.

CWG 2022: Sable soars, Paul leaps, Sharath sizzles to script India's success story

About 25 percent of India's 66 medals came from the shooting range in the previous edition and not many believed that India will be able to touch even 50 but the country ended up with 61, courtesy unprecedented success in track and field events that delivered eight medals, the highest for India in a CWG edition overseas.

Neeraj Chopra Congratulates Pakistan's Arshad Nadeem On Winning Commonwealth Games Javelin Throw Gold

Arshad Nadeem gave Pakistan its first javelin throw gold with a Commonwealth Games record mark of 90.18m. With the feat, Arshad, who was wearing a strapping around his right arm, beat Indian javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra's Tokyo Olympic throw of 87.58m, which helped him win gold, and the World Athletics Championship throw of 88.13m, which helped the Indian athlete win silver. Neeraj had to pull out of the Commonwealth Games due to an injury which he suffered during the recently-concluded World Athletics Championships. Arshad beat a field that had two-time world champion Anderson Peters.

"We Have Come A Long Way...": Neeraj Chopra Recalls His Time With Tejaswin Shankar After Athlete's Historic Bronze In High Jump

Indian athlete Tejaswin Shankar wrote history on Wednesday by winning India's first ever medal in high jump event in the Commonwealth Games history. At the ongoing Games in Birmingham, the 23-year-old Shankar finished third on the podium by clearing a high jump of 2.22m in the final. Bahamas' Donald Thomas and Joel Clarke-Khan of England also cleared an equal height as of Shankar but they needed more than one attempt to do it while the Indian athlete was successful in his single try.

CWG 2022: We are not rivals, we are part of javelin family, says Arshad Nadeem on friendship with Neeraj Chopra

Pakistan javelin thrower Arshad Nadeem says he will miss competing against India's Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra at the Commonwealth Games here as they are part of 'one' family. Neeraj won a historic silver at the World Championships last month with a throw of 88.13m as Arshad finished fifth after becoming the first Pakistani to qualify for the finals. The Indian pulled out of the CWG due to a groin strain while Arshad, who continues to nurse an elbow injury, is expected to be on the podium with Grenada's Anderson Peters, the favourite for gold. Peters won the gold at recent Worlds. "Neeraj bhai is my brother. I miss him here. May God give him the best of health and I get to compete with him soon," Arshad told PTI.