India's 'golden boy' Neeraj Chopra's stellar 2025: From touching 90m mark to heartbreaking 26-event streak end
India's Neeraj Chopra will face reigning Olympic champion Arshad Nadeem of Pakistan and Sri Lanka's Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage in a highly anticipated men's javelin clash at the Commonwealth Games, as India aims to surpass its previous medal tally in athletics.
He pulled out of the Birmingham CWG (July 28-August 8) just two days before the start of the multi-sport event as he was advised a four-week rest by his medical team. He then underwent rehabilitation in Germany.
Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra returned to winning ways in the men's javelin following his silver at the World Championships last month. His effort of 89.08 metres with his first throw was enough for gold at the Diamond League meeting in Lausanne on Friday.
'I want to thank all of you for your encouragement. 2024 has made me a better athlete and person. See you in 2025.'
Double Olympic medalist Neeraj Chopra will kick off his season at the Doha Diamond League on May 16.
Kenya's Amos Serem won the race in 8:06.90 seconds, while Morrocos's Soufiane El Bakkali (8:08.60s) and Kenya's Amin Jhinaoui Mohammed (8:09.68s) were second and third respectively.
Ace Indian discus thrower Krishna Poonia will be participating in the opening leg of the prestigious Diamond League Meetings series in Doha on May 10, which will give her a launchpad for her preparations for the Asian and World Championships later this year.
Neeraj Chopra on Wednesday clarified that Sunday's Paris Diamond League was never a part of his competition calendar this year.
World champion and season leader Anderson Peters of Grenada won the competition with a best throw of 90.31m which he came up with in this third attempt.
Chopra focussing on rehabilitation of his back injury, season opener not known yet: Sumariwalla
Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra's Paris Games preparations will be put through a stern test when he begins his season in the first leg of the prestigious Diamond League one-day meet series against a star-studded but familiar field, in Doha on Friday.
If Chopra holds the trophy and pockets the US$30,000 prize money at the Prefontaine Classic, he will become only the third man to defend the DL overall title, though the format changed in 2017.
Neeraj Chopra failed to defend his Diamond League champion's title
Neeraj Chopra was not at his best but still finished second with a final round throw of 85.71m in the men's javelin event of the Diamond League
India's discus thrower Vikas Gowda won a bronze medal in the second leg of the prestigious IAAF Diamond League series in Shanghai on Sunday.
India's discus thrower Vikas Gowda won a bronze medal in the second leg of the prestigious IAAF Diamond League series in Shanghai on Sunday.
History was made under the Doha lights as Neeraj Chopra finally broke the 90-meter barrier - a mark he had chased for years.
American duo Gabby Thomas and Noah Lyles took impressive 200 metres victories and two men posted monster, wind-assisted 90 metre javelin throws as the Diamond League season got underway on a lively night in front of a noisy crowd in Doha on Friday.
Neeraj Chopra will head to the Olympic Training Centre in Switzerland from May 25, while shooter Manu Bhaker has jetted off to Italy after the Sports Ministry approved their foreign exposure proposals in view of this year's Commonwealth and Asian Games.
National record holder Vikas Gowda finished a creditable sixth in men's discus throw in the first leg of the Samsung Diamond League series in Doha on Friday.
Clearly, Chopra was not at his best in the season's Diamond League grand finale. He had three legal throws out of the six attempts.
Ace discus thrower Vikas Gowda won the silver medal in the IAAF Diamond League Series in Doha, on Friday.
The 19-year-old Indian junior world record holder did not attempt his fifth and final throws due to the injury and his first round effort of 83.80m fetched him a seventh place finish in a strong eight-man field in Zurich on Thursday.
India's star javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra dropped a heart-warming message for his German rival Julian Weber after the duo breached the 90 metres mark for the first time in their stellar careers.
Chopra to begin season with Doha Diamond League on May 10, Jena also to compete for his DL debut
The country also mounted bids on some high-profile continental and global events, including the 2031 World Athletics Championships with Ahmedabad as the proposed venue.
Javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra has partnered with the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) to launch a "Clean Sports Campaign" aimed at combating doping in India. This initiative comes as India faces a serious doping problem, topping WADA's list of offenders, and seeks to educate athletes on anti-doping regulations and promote fair play. Chopra emphasised the importance of patience over quick gains through doping, highlighting the long-term damage it causes to athletes and the nation's sporting image.
The 20-year-old Indian, who was competing in the season's Diamond League Series Finale just three days after winning Asian Games gold in Jakarta, sent the spear to a best distance of 85.73m to end at fourth position in the eight-man event.
'In Doha, the 90m throw was really good, but technically I don't want to say that was perfect.'
A summary of sports events and persons who made news on Friday.
Ace discus thrower Vikas Gowda won the silver medal in the IAAF Diamond League Series in Doha, on Friday.
The Sports Ministry has introduced stricter guidelines for selecting coaches for India's Asian Games contingent, prioritising demonstrable contribution and regular association with athletes to manage the increasing number of requests.
'I'm looking forward to what 2026 has in store. I started my preparation in early November. As always, the goal is to stay healthy, and I am already excited to be competing again soon.'
India's world champion Neeraj Chopra dethroned Grenada's Anderson Peters to reclaim the number one spot in men's javelin throw world rankings following a string of brilliant performances on the international stage recently.
Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra delivered a landmark performance at the Doha Diamond League, becoming the first Indian ever to breach the 90-metre barrier in men's javelin throw.
After breaching the coveted 90m mark in Doha, javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra is aiming for an even bigger throw at the ORLEN Janusz Kusocinski Memorial meet in Poland.
'I try to stay calm on the day of my event. I don't think too much about it. I just focus on giving my 100%. I try to stay relaxed, eat good food, and rest well.'
National record-holders Gulveer Singh and Parul Chaudhary are also competing in the men's 5000m and women's 3000m steeplechase events respectively, making this the country maximum representation ever in a DL event.
Neeraj Chopra is set to face Nadeem for the first time after the 2024 Paris Olympics, giving him a chance to avenge his second-place finish in the French capital.
