Early injury almost ended my journey before it began, says Neeraj Chopra

Olympic and World Champion Neeraj Chopra shared how a serious wrist injury early in his career nearly ended his javelin dream. He credited his strong mindset and passion for representing India as the reasons he bounced back from the setback

Hyderabad: Olympic and World Champion Neeraj Chopra revealed that an injury early in his career almost ended his javelin journey before it began. Neeraj shared that the injury didn’t occur during training, but while playing on a basketball court.

“I was holding the basketball ring while jumping and fell suddenly. My wrist was fractured and it had to be in plaster for a long time. It was the same hand that I used to throw the javelin,” he said in an exclusive fireside chat with Duolingo English Test Takers.

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“Doctors told me the injury was complicated and that I might not be able to throw again. At that time, I felt like I would never be able to do it,” he recalled.

But his dream of playing for India kept him going. “As soon as I started feeling better, I knew I had to do it again. It was my dream that kept my mindset strong,” Neeraj said.

Neeraj, arguably India’s greatest athlete, encouraged students to stay strong and face obstacles directly, adding that with the right mindset, even the toughest setbacks can lead to powerful comebacks.