Neeraj Chopra Confirmed for 2026 Asian Games, AFI Says Star Javelin Thrower Has Recovered from Injury

The top Indian javelin thrower, Neeraj Chopra, will participate in the Asian Games which will be held in Japan in September and October, said Adille Sumariwala, chairperson of the selection committee of the Athletics Federation of India, on Saturday. The 28-year-old Chopra, who is an Olympic medallist on two occasions, is now back after sustaining an injury.

Chopra sustained an injury in his lower back prior to the Tokyo World Championship in September 2025. Chopra began the season late and participated in the Doha Diamond League where he came fourth with a personal best of 85.69 meters. Though Chopra had already announced his participation in the Commonwealth Games, he hadn't confirmed his participation in the Asian Games that would take place in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, between September 19 and October 4.

Adil Sumariwala said, "Yes, Neeraj will participate in both the Commonwealth Games and the Asian Games. He has already qualified and is now recovering from injury. He threw 85.69 meters in his first event, which is impressive. Neeraj won the gold medal in the last Asian Games in China with a throw of 88 meters (88.88 meters), and now he's already close to 86 meters. So, we see no reason why he wouldn't perform well in both the Commonwealth Games and the Asian Games."