New Delhi: India’s javelin superstar Neeraj Chopra He may have been absent from the world athletics circuit for months but the Olympic and world champion is now nearing a comeback, after an extensive period of rehabilitation and technical reconstruction aimed at keeping his body fit for the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028.The 28-year-old from Panipat has not competed for 232 days, till May 8, since finishing eighth at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo last September – the first time he has failed to finish on the podium since his historic gold medal at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. As the current international athletics season gathers pace ahead of major events like the Commonwealth Games, Asian GamesDiamond League meetings and the World Athletics Ultimate Championships, Chopra’s fans are eagerly awaiting her comeback.
Although Chopra is still exploring the option of competing in the Glasgow CWG, his immediate focus is on defending his Asian Games title in Aichi Nagoya, Japan. Keeping this in mind, his possible comeback events could be the Irina Siewska Memorial in Poland on May 29, Pao Nurmi Games in Finland on June 3, Ostrava Golden Spike in Czechia on June 16 and FBK Games in the Netherlands on June 21, sources indicated to TOI.According to sources, Athletics Federation of India (AFI) officials recently spoke to Chopra about his comeback plans and were told that his rehabilitation phase is nearing completion. Sources said Chopra has spent the past several months almost entirely focused on rehabbing and recovering from multiple physical setbacks, including back, ankle and back problems. “After the Tokyo Worlds, Chopra realized that rehabilitation had to become a top priority. He had been suffering from back and back problems for some time which affected both his preparation and performance. Since then, much of his work has revolved around rehabilitation, regaining mobility and rebuilding full fitness,” the source said.Chopra initially trained at his long-time off-season base in Potchefstroom, South Africa, before recently moving to Antalya, Turkey, where he now trains under trusted coach Javier Chaudhary and physiotherapist Ishan Marwaha. This move has allowed him to focus on controlled training sessions rather than the immediate competitive pressure.“He has now started preparing specifically for competition again. Previously, his sessions centered around gym work, recovery and restoring fitness levels, the focus has gradually shifted to event-specific training. Rather than retreating to elite-level competition, Chopra has been advised to ease into the season with relatively small invitational meets. The idea is to gradually build rhythm and confidence rather than pushing too hard right away in a big event. “Managing the workload is very important as his main goal is to keep him healthy for the next Olympic cycle,” explained the source.Chopra was originally expected to start his season at the Doha Diamond League on 8 May, but the event was postponed to 19 June due to the West Asian conflict. During his training period in Antalya, Chopra is also believed to have made significant technical changes to his throwing mechanics, particularly his “blocking” movement – the critical landing phase after release that prevents players from crossing the foul line.“It wasn’t the throwing that caused the problems,” the source said. “The stress came from landing and the way he held his body after the release. He’s worked extensively on that aspect, as well as changing his throwing style. He’s also replaced long distance running with sprint-focused work to reduce stress.”With the LA Games firmly in his sights, Chopra is expected to continue training under Chaudhary without bringing in a foreign coach.
