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Neeraj Chopra releases a statement following his withdrawal from CWG 2022: I’m disappointed that I can’t defend my title.

India’s Neeraj Chopra, 24, has released a statement following his forced withdrawal from the forthcoming Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.

Neeraj Chopra was supposed to be India’s flagbearer at the opening ceremony

Neeraj Chopra, who won the gold medal at the Olympics, has sent out a statement in which he expresses his disappointment at not being able to defend his title at the upcoming Commonwealth Games in 2022.

On Tuesday, it was announced that Chopra, 24, would not be competing in the next competition owing to an injury. The 24-year-old was also scheduled to carry the Indian flag at the CWG’s opening ceremony.

The Indian athlete clarified why he won’t be attending the Birmingham event in a detailed statement posted on Twitter. He also identified the exact moment when the injury occurred.

The 24-year-old said that after his fourth throw at the World Championships, he felt a pull in his groyne. However, after additional testing in the US, it was discovered that he had only had a slight strain.

Chopra claimed that following more consultations with his support team, the Indian Olympic Association, the Athletics Federation of India, and the Sports Authority of India, it was concluded that skipping the CWG would be best in order to prevent the injury from worsening.

The Olympic gold medalist continued by expressing his disappointment at missing out on the opportunity to carry the Indian flag at the opening ceremony as well as his hurt at not being able to defend his title during the competition.

Chopra continued by thanking the entire nation for their support and announcing that he will be concentrating on his recuperation. He continued by pleading with his supporters to support his fellow Indian competitors at the games.

Neeraj Chopra’s Twitter Post

Recently, Chopra created history at the World Athletics Championships by becoming the second Indian to secure a medal at the event. With a throw of 88.13 meters, the 24-year-old bagged Silver.