Can Neeraj Chopra continue his golden run at the Asian Games 2023?

Neeraj Chopra is all set to defend his Asian Games gold medal in Hangzhou, China later this month. The Asian Games 2023 in China is also his final tournament of year. He will be keen to wrap up the season on a high.

The 25-year-old missed out on several competitions in the initial part of 2023 after being troubled by shoulder pain along with a groin injury. He came back stronger in May when he won the Doha Diamond League with a throw of 88.67m.

The Indian athlete followed it up with a victory in the Lausanne Diamond League with a throw of 89.08m. The throw helped him to qualify for the Zurich Final and the 2023 World Athletics Championships. The Tokyo Medallist went on to become the first Indian to grab the gold medal in the 2023 World Athletics Championships.

A week after being crowned as the new World Champion, Neeraj Chopra could not dominate the Zurich Diamond League and ended in the second position.

The Indian, who looked tired at the event, managed only 85.71m. He began with a throw of 80.79m and fouled his next two throws. He achieved 85.22m in his fourth throw and missed the fifth throw before ending with 85.71m. Neeraj Chopra finished second behind Jakub Vadlejch, who topped the league with a throw of 85.86m.

After the tournament, the Indian athlete said that he was doing 100 percent and his only aim during the tournament was to stay fit and healthy so that he could give his 100 percent in the following competitions.

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Can Neeraj Chopra win another medal to end his 2023 campaign on a high?

Neeraj Chopra is taking cautious steps to stay healthy for the Asian Games 2023. As he mentioned in Zurich, his focus was more on staying fit. If he continues to remain 100 percent, the Indian is most likely to win the gold medal for the second consecutive time at the Asian Games 2023.

Despite finishing second in Zurich, the Indian has won three major tournaments this year and will look to end his season on a high in China. His major challenge will be from Arshad Nadeem.

The Pakistani athlete won the silver medal in the World Athletics Championships and is also the reigning Commonwealth Games gold medallist. Nadeem and Chopra have met nine times in international competitions and seven of them came in senior events.

Their first international meet came in the 2016 South Asian Games, which Chopra won with a throw of 82.23m. Though Nadeem has yet to beat Chopra in significant events, he is also the first South Asian to cross the 90m mark. The Pakistan athlete achieved it in the Commonwealth Games 2022.

Also, Nadeem had a much-needed break before the Asian Games, which could play a significant role as the break will help Nadeem regain his complete fitness and give 100 percent at the Asian Games 2023.

The Pakistani athlete is expected to provide a big challenge for Neeraj Chopra in China. However, if Chopra continues to stay healthy and enters the Asian Games 2023 with full fitness, he is likely to win back-to-back medals in the Asian Games.