Archive · 7 Aug 2026
Neeraj Chopra Does Not Deserve Scrutiny Over Silver: AFI Official
Neeraj Chopra is a famous athlete from India who throws a long spear called a javelin.
He won a gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 and many other gold medals over the past ten years.
Recently, his lower back was hurt, which made it hard for him to compete.
Even so, he went to the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and won a silver medal with his best throw of the season.
Some people worried that he was not as good as before because he finished second.
A sports leader named Adille Sumariwalla said people should not criticise him.
He said winning silver after an injury is "simply fantastic" and that nobody can win gold all the time.
He also said other Indian athletes are doing well, and the team brought home ten medals.
The sports leader is now hoping to become the president of World Athletics, the group that runs track and field sports.
Athletics Federation of India selection committee chairman Adille Sumariwalla defended Neeraj Chopra's Commonwealth Games silver, calling it "fantastic" after his return from a lower back injury.
Chopra, troubled by a lower back injury for nearly a year, threw a season's best 86.48m for silver in Glasgow, where he won gold in 2018 and missed the 2022 edition due to injury.
Sumariwalla said India's "greatest athlete" should be celebrated for a decade of consistency and numerous gold medals, not scrutinised for an occasional silver.
India's athletics team returned from Glasgow with 10 medals - five silver and five bronze - the best haul at a Games outside home, surpassing the eight medals won in 2022.
Sumariwalla has nominated for the World Athletics presidency, with elections due in September next year in Beijing to succeed Sebastian Coe.
- Who
- Neeraj Chopra, India's two-time Olympic medallist javelin thrower, and Adille Sumariwalla, chairman of the Athletics Federation of India's selection committee.
- What
- Sumariwalla defended Chopra's silver medal at the 2026 Commonwealth Games as "fantastic" after an injury comeback and said the "greatest athlete India has produced" should not be scrutinised for one second-place finish.
- When
- After the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, which were held in July and were described as "last month" in the report.
- Where
- Glasgow, at the Commonwealth Games; Chopra hails from Haryana, India.
- Why
- Because of scrutiny and concerns over Chopra's fitness and form after he finished second, which Sumariwalla says ignores a decade of consistent gold-medal success.
Sumariwalla and the AFI
Concerns over Chopra's form
Value of Chopra's silver medal
Sumariwalla and the AFI
The silver is "fantastic" after an injury comeback; Chopra's medals should be celebrated, not questioned.
Concerns over Chopra's form
Chopra's fitness has been a talking point, with concerns that he is struggling to return to his best after the injury breakdown.
India's medal haul without gold
Sumariwalla and the AFI
The lack of gold was a "matter of small margins", and the squad showed depth with multiple finalists and 10 medals.
Concerns over Chopra's form
India won no gold medals in Glasgow - only five silvers and five bronzes - and fell short of the 12-medal best haul at the 2010 Delhi Games.
Chopra's comeback trajectory
Sumariwalla and the AFI
Chopra's tenacity should never be doubted; he will keep improving and knows what he has to do.
Concerns over Chopra's form
A fourth-place finish in his Doha Diamond League comeback has fed concerns that Chopra is not yet back to his best.
- Athlete
- Neeraj Chopra (javelin throw, India)
- Competition
- Commonwealth Games 2026, Glasgow
- Result
- Silver medal with a season's best throw of 86.48m
- Injury
- Lower back injury troubling Chopra for nearly a year
- India's athletics CWG haul
- 10 medals - five silver and five bronze
- Next competitions
- Lausanne Diamond League (Aug 21), Diamond League Finals in Brussels (Sep 4-5), Asian Games (Sep-Oct)
- World Athletics presidency
- Elections in Beijing in September next year; Sumariwalla nominated to succeed Sebastian Coe
- Chopra career highlights
- Two Olympic medals (gold and silver), World Championships gold, junior world record, Asian Games gold, Commonwealth Games gold and silver