Javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra should not rush back from injury for World Championships, says national coach

New Delhi: Star javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra should not be rushed into competition following his elbow injury and he should skip the World Championships later this year if he is not fully fit by then, national athletics head coach Bahadur Singh said on Tuesday. [caption id=“attachment_5057081” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of Neeraj Chopra. AP file[/caption] The 21-year-old Neeraj developed pain on his elbow while doing practice at the NIS Patiala earlier in April and he had to skip the 21-24 April Asian Championships in Doha. “Neeraj is in Mumbai now, consulting a renowned doctor there and what is the future course of action will be known only after the medical reports have come. He should be careful and should not rush himself into competitions,” Bahadur told PTI from Patiala on Tuesday. “His injury should be treated carefully. If you ask me, I will say that he should skip the World Championships if he is not fully fit by that time,” the head coach said, though refusing to dwell into the matter of how serious was the injury. The prestigious Diamond League series are coming up and first such meet where javelin throw will be a part is in Shanghai on 18 May followed by in Oslo on 13 June. “Neeraj is a bright prospect for an Olympic medal and he should deal with this injury very carefully. Olympics is the most important event for him,” Bahadur said.