July 17, 2026

Neeraj Chopra: Another Tournament, Another Failure

By Sunil Garodia
First publised on 2025-09-18 14:46:17

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Editor-in-Chief of indiacommentary.com. Current Affairs analyst and political commentator. Author of Cyber Scams in India, Digital Arrest, The Money Trap and The Human Hack

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Neeraj Chopra's slump continued in the World Athletics Championships. Despite a strong field that many thought would inspire him to raise his game, Chopra displayed the same dismal form that had left him way behind in the Diamond League a few weeks ago. One would have thought that going back to Tokyo, where he had won Olympic gold, would trigger a resurgence. But no - Chopra looks out of depth now, and nothing seems to be going right for him. He finished 8th with a best throw of 84.03m, while compatriot Suresh Yadav impressed with a commendable fourth place at 86.27m.

Chopra needs to seriously reflect on where he is going wrong. A prolonged dip in form points to something amiss - fitness, technique, or both. At a time when 90m throws are becoming increasingly common on the circuit (even if none were seen in Tokyo this year), Chopra's sub-85m efforts are not enough. If he does not raise his game, others will scale new heights while he is left playing catch-up. The poor show at the Diamond League, followed by this performance in Tokyo, should serve as a wake-up call. He must rediscover his hunger and sharpen both body and technique if he is to return to the top.