It’s official, says the AFI – Neeraj Chopra is going to defend his crown in Japan. The 28-year-old and two-time Olympic medallist has been given the all-clear for the Commonwealth Games as well, making his post-injury return something of a high-stakes affair.
Title defence confirmed for Aichi-Nagoya
“Chopra has qualified and is in good shape,” says Adille Sumariwalla, head of the AFI selection committee. “He is well on the way to being in his competitive range again.” He’ll be there for the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, running from September 19 to October 4, as well as for the Commonwealth Games.
You’ll see the complete Indian team for the Asian Games on Sunday when the AFI makes its announcement in Bhubaneswar, capping off the National Inter-State Senior Athletics Championships. We already know he’s in the 32-man side for the Commonwealth Games.
Form checkpoint after injury layoff
A niggling lower back issue before the Tokyo World Championships in September 2025 put a hold on his season. But he was out in Doha for the Diamond League and put up 85.69m to take fourth – enough to show he has his rhythm back without overdoing it.
Then there is the memory of his last win in Hangzhou in 2023, where he put 88.88m on the board for gold. That’s the number his camp will have in mind as they plan for these two marquee events.
Rivals raise the bar
Chopra has the spark, but the field has the heat. Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage of Sri Lanka has already gone over 90m this year and notched up two Diamond League victories, one of them in Doha where Neeraj was fourth. And you can’t forget Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem, the Olympic champion.
Nadeem is also the man with the ring from the Asian and Commonwealth Games. He had to step aside from the Doha Diamond League in June, but if he is in Aichi-Nagoya, it will make for a proper showdown in the men’s javelin.
Here is what we are looking at in Japan:
– Chopra for a second straight Asian Games
– Pathirage with a 90m to his name
– Nadeem, the Olympic and continental king
Scheduling with precision, not haste
The AFI is letting Chopra and his people call the shots on whether he does anything before Glasgow. It’s about being selective with your schedule, not just putting in an appearance here and there.
Glasgow is on from July 23 to August 2. As Sumariwalla sees it, the job is to put together two top-level performances in a short span of time, one in Scotland and the other in Aichi-Nagoya.
Why it matters for India
With Chopra back in the mix, the medal talk is different. His 85.69m in Doha shows he is sound, and the 88.88m from 2023 is a reminder of what he is capable of. Factor in Pathirage’s form and Nadeem’s resume and the final in the javelin could be more than a title fight; it could be the story of the season.
For now, it is a case of building up carefully. They are working on the runway and the release while making sure the back doesn’t act up. If they can keep that in check, India will have its talisman in fine fettle for Glasgow and beyond.
