CWG 2026: Neeraj Chopra focused on giving his best, not chasing a target in Glasgow

Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra says he is not chasing a specific distance target as he returns to the Commonwealth Games after an eight-year gap, insisting his only goal is to give his best every time he competes for India.

The Indian javelin star, who won gold at the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games but missed Birmingham 2022 due to injury, said representing the country itself is enough motivation heading into Glasgow.

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“There is no specific target as such. The only thought in mind is that whenever you compete, try to give your absolute best and put in 100 percent on the day so that there are no regrets later. During the competition, the goal will simply be to give my best according to whatever the conditions turn out to be,” Neeraj told reporters on Sunday.

“Whenever I represent my country, the event automatically becomes important to me. Since I have come here to compete for India, I will give my 100 percent. How things turn out will be known on the day of the event, but I always give my best whenever I represent my country. Our other athletes are also well prepared, and we will try to deliver a good performance together,” he added.

Neeraj Chopra confident after injury recovery

The 28-year-old has competed only once this season after recovering from a lower back injury that disrupted his campaign following the World Athletics Championships last year. He finished fourth at the Doha Diamond League in June with a best throw of 85.69m.

Neeraj said he has used the time since Doha to address technical shortcomings and regain full fitness.

“Right now, I am feeling quite fine. Doha was my first competition after the World Championships. We worked on the areas where I fell short and focused on my fitness. So now, I am better,” he said.

Having finally crossed the coveted 90-metre mark earlier in his career, Neeraj said his focus remains on consistency rather than chasing another big throw.

“It isn’t pressure as such, but as an athlete, it is always in my mind to keep increasing my distance. When you compete at major Games, the biggest challenge is to win a medal against the world’s best athletes. Distance is important, but consistency is equally important. My target is to remain consistent and keep improving gradually,” he said.

Neeraj’s campaign begins with the men’s javelin qualification on July 30, with the final scheduled for July 31 at Scotstoun Stadium. The field includes Olympic champion Arshad Nadeem, world leader Rumesh Pathirage, two-time world champion Anderson Peters, and former Olympic and reigning world champion Keshorn Walcott.