3 min readAug 5, 2026 10:28 AM IST
Star Indian javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra has opened up about the struggles of returning from a long injury layoff, saying the past 10 months have tested him in ways he never expected.
“There are throws that travel far, and then there are moments that carry the weight of an entire journey. This one means so much more than the distance,” Neeraj wrote on Instagram after announcing his comeback with a statement silver medal at the recently concluded Commonwealth Games 2026 in Glasgow.
“The past 10 months have tested me in ways I never expected. Recovering from multiple injuries, rebuilding my body, finding my rhythm again, and learning to be patient when all I wanted was to compete. I was training every day without knowing if I would even have a season to compete this year,” he added.
At the Glasgow Games, Neeraj was competing in a stacked field that included world leader and Sri Lankan sensation Rumesh Pathirage, defending Olympic champion Arshad Nadeem, Keshorn Walcott, and former world champion Anderson Peters. He produced a season-best throw of 85.83m on his second attempt, only to be upstaged by Pathirage’s 89.75m as the Indian settled for silver.
Earlier, he had made his comeback from a back injury at the Doha Diamond League in June. The injury, sustained during training before the World Championships, kept the Olympic gold medallist and world champion out of competition for nine months, his longest absence since bursting onto the global stage with Olympic gold in Tokyo in 2021.
The two-time Olympic medallist said he was grateful to be competing at this level again. “To be back competing at this level feels good. None of this would have been possible on my own. I’m deeply grateful for the people who never stopped believing in me. My physio, Ishaan ji, who has been by my side every step of the recovery, helping me get back to doing what I love. My coach, Jai, who has been with me since the very first time I picked up a javelin. My family, who always stand strong with me no matter what the circumstances are.”
“Thank you everyone for your support and blessings. The season continues, one step at a time,” he concluded.
Story continues below this ad
Neeraj will next compete at the Lausanne Diamond League, followed by the Asian Games in Japan in September.
