CWG 2022: Neeraj Chopra and javelin's throw of the dice

For a nation always clamouring for more, Neeraj's injury is untimely reminder that rare success is sustained only by pushing the limits of enduranceAs a nation, we are so enamoured with personality cults, both inside and outside the arena of sport, that we sometimes forget Neeraj Chopra stands alone in his field. He is a toweringly successful sporting figure of considerable dramatic appeal, acceptable across the spectrum. He also stands distinctly apart, the flag-bearer of a mystifying art who defies the straitjackets we pigeonhole our public figures into. In a country obsessed with the divine, this Olympic gold-winning javelin thrower stands a beacon of human potential. Adulation, however, is not a cure for fallibility.

Read AlsoCWG 2022: Medal favourite Neeraj Chopra ruled out with injury

Star javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra has pulled out of the Commonwealth Games due to "fitness concerns", the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) announced on Tuesday. Chopra had won a historic silver medal at the World Athletics Championship in Eugene on Sunday and suffered a strain in his groin during

No one knows this better than Neeraj, who is acutely aware of the limitations of his own body. He knows his withdrawal due to a groin injury will dampen public excitement around the Commonwealth Games, but that is part of the deal. His incredible achievements are not miracle or fairy tale but wrought by sheer effort. The decision to pull out now, instead of keeping everyone hanging till August 5, the qualification round of his CWG competition, is thoroughly professional. There is no copyright on setting benchmarks. The extent to which Neeraj played through the pressure at Hayward Field, battling headwinds and some superlative early throws