Ankle ligament tear ends Neeraj Chopra’s 2026 season; Asian Games absence confirmed

Neeraj Chopra has been ruled out of the Asian Games and will miss the remainder of the 2026 season after suffering an ankle ligament tear during training, he said in an Instagram post on Friday.

The injury occurred shortly after Chopra produced a season’s best throw in Lausanne, and the setback removes India’s leading javelin prospect from the continental competition, a development described in the report as a major blow to India’s medal hopes. Chopra is an Olympic and World Championship medallist and had been seeking greater consistency this season.

Chopra made the announcement on social media and set out the immediate medical decision in his own words: “Unfortunately, shortly after, I sustained a ligament tear in my ankle during training,” Chopra wrote. “After discussions with my doctor and team, we’ve decided that I will sit out the rest of this season.”

The timing of the injury came after what the report described as an encouraging performance in Lausanne and interrupted a period in which Chopra felt he was building momentum. “It’s disappointing, especially because I felt close to finding my rhythm,” Chopra said. “But as they say, setbacks are a part of the journey.”

Chopra said his attention will switch to recovery and rehabilitation rather than an accelerated return to competition, framing rehabilitation as the immediate priority. “My focus now is on recovering well and coming back even stronger,” he added.

This is a developing story and will be updated as further information becomes available.