Neeraj returns to Diamond League for season opener, reveals he confirmed participation a week ago

Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra revealed he confirmed his Doha Diamond League participation just a week ago. Returning from ankle and shoulder issues, Chopra emphasized taking a cautious approach after over-pushing through injuries at last year's Tokyo World Championships

Doha: Neeraj Chopra has revealed that his return to competitive action at the Wanda Diamond League in Doha was confirmed nly days before the event, with the Olympic champion requesting organisers to allow him extra time before committing to the season opener.

Speaking during the pre-event media interaction on Thursday, Chopra said he asked Diamond League officials to confirm his participation at the last moment as he continued to assess his recovery from injury. After his final training session convinced both him and his support team that he was ready, the organisers agreed, paving the way for his comeback in Doha.

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Explaining why he waited until the final stages before entering the competition, Chopra admitted that returning too early after injury was never part of the plan. The Indian javelin thrower reflected on the setbacks that followed his decision to compete at the World Championships in Tokyo despite not being fully fit and explained how he and his support staff took a far more cautious approach this time.

“It is always amazing to be back in competitions, in Doha especially. I am a little bit nervous speaking in front of so many people after such a long time. I had some injury last year before the Tokyo World Championships. We worked a lot, and I also competed in Tokyo, but that was not a good decision because I knew I had some problems but that was the last competition, so I decided to compete there.

“In an athlete’s life, if we have one injury, we try to save that injury and get another one. I injured my ankle, then somewhere in the shoulders. Then I sat with my team, my physio, then we worked on every part. We started throwing one and a half months ago, we took our time and I choose to Doha. I asked them if it was possible for me to let them know in a very short period, like just a week ago. They said yes and we decided after my last session to compete in Doha,” Chopra told the reporters here.

As part of his recovery programme, Chopra trained at the Swiss Olympic Training Centre in Magglingen, a location he credited for providing the ideal atmosphere to rebuild both physically and technically ahead of his return.

“I was in Magglingen, a Swiss Olympic Training Centre there. I really like that place; it’s in the mountains, and very quiet, so you can focus on your things and techniques,” he mentioned.