Double Olympic medallist Neeraj Chopra has opted out of the upcoming Asian Athletics Championship in South Korea, as India unveiled a 59-member contingent for the event on Friday.
While the team largely includes athletes who excelled at the recently concluded Federation Cup in Kochi, Chopra’s absence does not come as a surprise. His 2025 season has been carefully planned around major global events such as the Diamond League Meetings and the World Championships scheduled for September. Additionally, Chopra is set to host the inaugural edition of the Neeraj Chopra Classic in Bengaluru on May 24.
Chopra has not featured in the Asian Athletics Championship since the 2017 edition held in Bhubaneswar, where he clinched a gold medal. Since then, his focus has remained firmly on international circuits, particularly the Diamond League, World Championships, and the Olympic Games, prioritising elite-level competition over continental events.
Meanwhile, Chopra has found himself at the center of an unexpected controversy following his invitation to Pakistani javelin thrower Arshad Nadeem to participate in the NC Classic. The invitation, which had been extended well before the recent Pahalgam terror attack, drew criticism in the aftermath of the incident.
Clarifying his stance, Chopra took to social media to explain the context. “There has been so much talk about my decision to invite Arshad Nadeem to compete in the Neeraj Chopra Classic, and most of it has been hate and abuse. They haven`t even left my family out of it,” he wrote in an emotional message on X (formerly Twitter). He further added that the invitation was merely `an invite from one athlete to another`, and not politically motivated in any way. `It hurts` him, he said, to see his integrity and that of his family being questioned over a sporting gesture.
— Neeraj Chopra (@Neeraj_chopra1) April 25, 2025
Nadeem, who defeated Chopra to win gold at the Paris Olympics, eventually declined the invitation, citing prior commitments. Despite the controversy, preparations continue for the event, which is expected to feature several top athletes and serve as a landmark event in India’s athletics calendar.
