Neeraj Chopra To Head To South Africa For Off-season Training Later This Month

Star javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra will travel to Potchefstroom, South Africa later this month for an off-season training stint to start early preparation for next year's competitions.

26-year-old double Olympic medallist, who last competed in Brussels in Diamond League Final in September, will spend 31 days in South African city.

Chopra's training stint will be funded by Sports Ministry.

"(He) will start his training early and will be in Potchefstroom for a period of 31 days," ministry said in a statement on Friday.

"Neeraj's training session will be funded by Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (MYAS) and expenditure will cover his and his Physiorapist's lodging, boarding and training cost for period of his stay in South Africa." In past, Chopra has trained in Potchefstroom many times, including ahe of Tokyo and Paris Olympics .

He also took part in a competition re in January 2020, just before COVID-19 pandemic struck world. He h finished on top with a throw of 87.86m at ACNW League Meeting 1 at McArthur Stium.

Chopra battled an ductor muscle niggle throughout year and it also affected his performance at both Paris Olympics and Diamond League Final, where he competed with a fractured left hand.

He h earlier spoken about consulting doctors at end of season to decide wher to go for a surgery to fix problem.

But talking to PTI on September 27, he h played down injury concerns and also stated that he will look to improve his technique.

"It was an injury-plagued year but injury is fine w, I will be 100 per cent fit for new season," he h said.

Chopra, who ded a silver medal at Paris Olympics to his gold won in Tokyo Games three years back, recently parted ways with his German coach Klaus Bartonietz, ending a hugely successful five-year partnership.

Indian athletics chief coach Rhakrishnan Nair h told PTI that a new coach for Chopra is likely be appointed before end of year.

Chopra's main aim next year will be to defend World Championships gold in Tokyo besides also working hard to hit 90m mark.

He h won gold in 2023 World Championships in Budapest, Hungary with a throw of 88.17m. He has a personal best of 89.94m, just 6cm short of 90m mark.

In Paris Olympics, his silver-winning throw was 89.45m and he was bested by Pakistan 's Arsh Neem, who broke Games record with a 92.97m effort. PTI PDS PDS AH AH