Neeraj Chopra, who won India‘s first-ever silver medal in World Athletics Championships a couple of days ago, has been ruled out of the upcoming Commonwealth Games 2022 in Birmingham due to an injury. Neeraj had complained of discomfort in his groin after the 88.13m throw that earned him the silver medal in the men’s javelin final on Sunday. IOA Secretary General Rajiv Mehta said the reigning Olympic champion has been advised rest for one month. “Team India javelin thrower  Neeraj Chopra had called me earlier today from the US to convey his inability to take part in the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games owing to fitness concern,” Mehta said.

“Following his participation in the 2022 World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Mr. Chopra had had an MRI scan done on Monday and, based on it, he has been advised a month’s rest by his medical team,” Mehta added. Chopra was expected to be India’s flag bearer at the Games, starting Thursday. “We have a meeting later in the day to decide the new flag-bearer,” India team’s chef de mission Rajesh Bhandari told PTI.

This comes as a major blow to India’s medal prospects as Neeraj was one of the favourties to bag gold in the men’s javelin event. He had shot into world limelight after winning a gold in the previous event at the age of 20. Neeraj has been rewriting record books ever since. In the 2020 Tokyo Games, he became independent India’s first track and field athlete to win a gold medal. The Haryana-born javelin thrower then broke his own national record twice – With an 89.30m throw in the Paavo Nurmi games and then followed it up with an 89.94m throw in the Diamond League in Stockholm – almost a year after returning to professional competition. The 24-year-old then became India’s second medalist after the legendary Anju Bobby George and the first male athlete to win a medal at the Athletics World Championships.