Neeraj Chopra to not take part in Asian Athletics Championships

Sustaining a strain on his elbow, Neeraj Chopra has pulled out from the prestigious Asian Athletics Championships which is scheduled to take place from April 21 in Doha, Qatar. The Asian Games and Commonwealth Games gold medallist felt some discomfort during the throwing sessions on Friday. Before the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games last year, the javelin thrower had bagged a gold at the previous edition of the Asian Athletics Championships at home.

“His coach told us it’s not a serious issue and that Neeraj could return to the field in a week’s time but we did not want to take any chances. We are preserving him for the World Championships. He informed us just yesterday (Friday) that he wasn’t feeling 100 percent fit so we have decided to not send him for the competition. We won’t take any chances,” deputy chief coach Radhakrishnan Nair told The Indian Express.

After a successful campaign at the prestigious games last year, Chopra, who also had  elbow surgery in 2019 is yet to play in a competition in 2019. He was also exempted from the Federation Cup, the selection event for the 23rd Asian Athletics Championships, last month.

Apart from Neeraj, 800m runner Manjit Singh, quarter miler Dharun Ayyasamy and steeplechaser Sudha Singh are also not participating in the upcoming event because of injuries and illness. Ayyasamy’s stress fracture on the shin has aggravated and he is now under treatment in Tamil Nadu.