India’s ‘Golden Boy’ Neeraj Chopra is all set to return to competitive action at the Paavo Nurmi Games 2024. The 26-year-old Indian athlete, who was forced to take a short break to mend a niggle, will return at the Paavo Nurmi Games, set to take place on Tuesday, June 18.
The World Athletics confirmed the update on Monday, June 17 in an official statement which read, “World and Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra returns to Turku, though the Indian superstar has bittersweet memories of his one previous appearance here.” Chopra will be the lone Indians to field at the games and will be up against German teenager Max Dehning.
Apart from Neeraj Chopra and Max Dehning, home favourite Oliver Helander of Finland, two-time world champion Anderson Peters of Grenada, 2012 Olympic champion Keshorn Walcott of Trinidad and Tobago and Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem will be the other key athletes to feature at the Paavo Nurmi Games. It is to be noted that Neeraj threw his best of 89.30m in 2022, but finished with a silver, settling behind Finland’s Oliver Helander.
Chopra had withdrawn from last month’s Ostrava Golden Spike as precautionary measure after he “felt something in my adductor (group of muscles located on inner thighs)”. He, however started his 2024 calendar at the Doha Diamond League in May, where he finished second with his final throw of 88.36m. The 26-year-old recently participated at the Federation Cup Senior Athletics Championships in Bhubaneshwar, securing a gold with an underwhelming 82.27m throw.