Neeraj Chopra set to give National Games 2022 a miss

After a challenging season, Neeraj Chopra said that his body needed time to heal and that his coach, biomechanical specialist Dr. Klaus Bartonietz, had encouraged him to take it easy. “The dates for the National Games were only announced recently. I had spoken to the coach and he said I needed rest as I just recovered from a groin injury.”

This year, Chopra participated in six contests. The 24-year-old Indian set two new national records this year, and in July, he made history by being the first Indian to take home a medal at the international athletics championships. But he had to withdraw from the Commonwealth Games after straining his thigh muscle at the international athletics championships in Oregon.

“If you train and compete, it could become risky,” reasoned Neeraj Chopra. “My family and friends are also here (Zurich) for a week so I won’t be able to train. After that, I will come back home to begin my rehabilitation programme and focus on next year’s world championships and Asian Games.” Budapest, Hungary will host the world athletics championships in August of 2023. The Asian Games will be held in Hangzhou, China, in September.