Hyderabad: India’s star javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra has revealed that he competed in the Diamond League Final in Brussels with a broken hand. The Indian athlete finished as runner-up for the second year in a row. However, the Indian sportsperson has come up with a revelation that he was playing in the final with a broken hand.
Neeraj took to his ‘X’ handle and uploaded the image of the X-ray of his left hand which showed a fracture on his ring finger. The Indian javelin thrower had looked in a bit of discomfort after completing his throws and was not pushing himself very hard. The silver medalist in the Paris Games, Neeraj explained that he was determined to feature in the season’s last competition despite an injury.
“As the 2024 season ends, I look back on everything I’ve learned through the year - about improvement, setbacks, mentality and more. On Monday, I injured myself in practice and X-rays showed that I had fractured the fourth metacarpal in my left hand. It was another painful challenge for me. But with the help of my team, I was able to participate in Brussels,” he wrote on his ‘X’ handle.
“This was the last competition of the year, and I wanted to end my season on the track. While I couldn’t meet my own expectations, I feel this was a season in which I learned a lot. I am now determined to return, fully fit and ready to go. I want to thank all of you for your encouragement. 2024 has made me a better athlete and person. See you in 2025.”
Neeraj registered his best attempt at 87.86 metres while Peters Anderson of Grenada produced the winning throw of 87.87 metres in the event. Neeraj finished the Diamond League in second place for the second consecutive year. Last time, he lost the title to Jakub Vadlejch of the Czech Republic.
