In a big blow to the Indian Athletic contingent at the 2022 Commonwealth Games (CWG), star Javelin Thrower and Golden Boy Neeraj Chopra has been ruled out of the upcoming competition in Birmingham, sources confirmed to Sports Tak. The 24-year-old was a Tokyo Olympic gold medallist in 2021, and very recently secured a silver medal at the World Athletics Championships in Oregon on Sunday, July 24.
According to sources, Neeraj has informed the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) and the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) that he will not be able to participate in the upcoming event.
Neeraj’s fourth attempt of 88.13m which fetched him the silver in the world championship final, is when he realised that he had injured his groin.
For his fifth and sixth throws, he came out with a strapped upper thigh, and both his throws ended as fouls.
Reports of his scans came on Monday, July 25, following which he has been advised to rest by the doctors.
The star Indian athlete is already a Commonwealth Games gold medallist in Gold Coast, Australia, in 2018, and will be disappointed at not being able to defend his title, with his biggest rival Anderson Peters of Grenada now a firm favourite to win the coveted top prize at CWG 2022.
The Indian contingent will also be on the lookout for a new flagbearer for the event, after Neeraj's unfortunate injury.
