NEW DELHI: Olympic and world champion javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra is set to compete in India for the first time in three years. The 26-year-old has confirmed his participation in the National Federation Cup, which will be held in Bhubaneswar from May 12 to 15.
Chopra is expected to travel to India from Doha after opening his season in the first leg of the prestigious Diamond League series on May 10.
"As per entries @Neeraj_chopra1 and Kishore Kumar Jena will compete in domestic competition starting May 12 in Bhubaneshwar," the Athletics Federation of India tweeted.
Chopra's coach, Klaus Bartonietz, also confirmed to PTI that his ward will be participating in the Bhubaneswar event. Kishore Jena, the 28-year-old who won a silver in the Hangzhou Asian Games where Chopra won gold, will also be competing in the Doha Diamond League on May 10.
The last time Chopra participated in a domestic competition was at the same event on March 17, 2021, where he won a gold with a throw of 87.80m. Since then, he has achieved numerous milestones, including winning a historic gold in the Tokyo Olympics, becoming the Diamond League champion in 2022, world champion in 2023, and defending his Asian Games gold in China.
He has also won three individual legs of the Diamond League and claimed a silver in the 2022 World Championships. However, Chopra is yet to reach the 90m mark, with his personal best and national record standing at 89.94m.
(Inputs from PTI)
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