Chaudhary was instrumental in teaching the fundamentals of javelin to Chopra at Panipat Stadium in Haryana during his formative days

Navneet Singh

Two-time Olympic medallist Neeraj Chopra will be banking on an Indian coach instead of a foreign expert this season, it has been learnt. Apart from the Diamond League, the Commonwealth Games, Asian Games and Ultimate Championship are three major competitions in 2026.

Chopra recently split with Czech athletics legend Jan Zelezny, whom he had signed in November 2024. Under Zelezny, Chopra achieved the milestone of a 90m throw last year, but the season was below par in terms of the high-level performance he has delivered at world meets since winning the historic gold medal for India at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

World title

Chopra failed to defend his title at the 2025 Tokyo World Championships and finished eighth. He cited a back injury as the main reason for the not-so-encouraging performance.

“Working with Jan opened my eyes to so many new ideas. The way he thinks about technique, rhythm and movement is incredible, and I learned a lot from every single session we had together,” Chopra said in a statement.

With his vast experience and ability to throw big in all kinds of conditions, Chopra knows his body well. According to reports, the 28-year-old two-time World Championships and Olympic medallist will manage his coaching team on his own.

Vel Sports

“Having worked with some of the sport’s finest coaches, he now feels ready to apply what worked best from each of them. At this stage of his career, he trusts his understanding of his body and his throwing more than ever before, and he has many new ideas he wants to bring into his training,” said a statement from Chopra’s newly launched athlete management firm, Vel Sports.

The 28-year-old ace Indian javelin thrower is planning to rope in Jay Chaudhary, a retired javelin thrower and now a coach, for the time being, it is learnt.

Panipat Stadium

Chaudhary was an active javelin thrower when he taught the fundamentals of javelin to Chopra at Panipat Stadium in Haryana. After Chaudhary quit the sport, he became a coach.

“Chaudhary has been associated with Chopra and his family for a long time. Chaudhary taught him the basics of javelin, and maybe at this stage he wants to connect with someone who has been a constant source of support throughout his career. He will join his support staff,” sportsbackstory.com has learnt from people close to Chopra.

U20 World title

Chopra has worked with high-profile international coaches in his career, from Uwe Hohn to Klaus Bartonietz, under whom he won his two Olympic and World Championship medals. Australian Gary Calvert was his coach when he won the 2016 U20 World Championships title with a record throw of 86.48m.

Chaudhary may not be a high-profile name, but Chopra trusts him. Chaudhary has had stint with the national coaching camp in Patiala.

Parting ways with Zelezny

Post the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, the Indian javelin thrower joined Zelezny’s camp. No doubt he was able to breach the 90m barrier, but he wasn’t consistent. He hurled the javelin to 90.23m at the 2025 Doha Diamond League but thereafter didn’t come close to the 90m mark. As the 2025 season progressed, Chopra’s form dipped.

After the Doha Diamond League high, his other notable performance was 88.16m at the Paris Diamond League on June 20. In other events Chopra competed in, his performance ranged between 86.18m in July and 84.03m at the 2025 World Championships in Japan.

One of the reasons for quitting Zelezny’s camp was that he wasn’t getting the results he expected, it has been learnt.

2024 performance graph

As compared to 2025, Chopra’s 2024 performance graph was much better under German biomechanic expert Bartonietz. Klaus was with Chopra’s coaching team from 2018 and later became a full-time coach till the Paris Olympic Games. Of the seven events the Olympic javelin throw champion competed in during 2024, he recorded three throws over 89m and two throws over 87m.

Injuries

Chopra has been struggling with a groin injury for a long time. He was supposed to find a comprehensive solution post the 2024 Paris Olympic Games but chose to go for the traditional way of healing. After a not-so-encouraging show at the 2025 World Championships, Chopra claimed he was suffering from back pain that cropped up two weeks before the global meet and restricted his movements.

Reset future

Chopra has to get rid of the groin issue, sooner rather than later. Adille Sumariwalla, former AFI (Athletics Federation of India) president and spokesperson, said Chopra was undergoing rehab. “Right now, it’s unsure when he (Chopra) will start his 2026 season,” Sumariwalla recently told the media about Chopra’s immediate plans.

Challenging phase

It’s a challenging phase for Chopra, who has the knack of bouncing back from adversity. He would be looking to get back to winning ways and sustain his performance at the international level. Chopra also faces a challenge from domestic rivals, as Sachin Yadav finished fourth at the Worlds in Tokyo with a throw of 86.27m.

Usually, Chopra starts his season with the lucrative one-day Doha Diamond League. One has to wait and watch when Chopra reveals his plans for this season.

EOM