Neeraj Chopra admits competing at World Championship with back injury was a mistake

Neeraj Chopra (File Pic)

Indian javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra has admitted that his decision to participate in last year's World Championships while carrying a back injury was a mistake.

However, the star athlete has assured fans that he 'feels fit' as he prepares for a delayed debut at the Doha Diamond League on Friday.

The 28-year-old endured a frustrating eighth-place finish at the Tokyo World Championships in September 2025, recording a below-par throw of 84.03m. Chopra subsequently revealed that a lower back ailment had affected his performance.

"I had some injury last year before Tokyo World Championship. We work a lot and also competed in Tokyo, but I don't think that was a good decision because I already know that I have some problems. But that was the last competition (of 2025), so I decided to compete there," Chopra said.

Chopra expressed confidence ahead of his highly anticipated comeback. He added, "I feel really good and fit, let's see tomorrow."

Doha holds fond memories for Chopra, who previously crossed the historic 90-meter barrier at this venue under the guidance of world record holder Jan Zelezny.

"Technically, that throw was not that good, it was really fast from the arm but if I had done better with my lower body, that may be (added) two to three metres more. I looked at the video not so many times," Chopra added.

Chopra has parted ways with his coach Zelezny

Addressing his management changes, Chopra confirmed his split from legendary coach Zelezny in January after a one-year stint, choosing to move back toward home-grown expertise to explore his own training concepts.

"Zlezny was a great athlete and he was a really good coach also. We worked on a few specific things, I'm happy that I broke 90m under him. I had to stay in one place to hold the season, that was not possible for me. So we decided after Tokyo World Championships maybe I need to work with my ideas, so work with an Indian coach," Chopra explained.

Chopra has re-partnered with domestic coach Jaiveer Chaudhary to fine-tune his innate mechanics.

"He (Jaiveer Chaudhary) is my senior. I started javelin throw with him so he knows my story from last 15-16 years. He knows my training plans and everything, so now we work on my technique," he concluded.

(With PTI inputs)