NEW DELHI: Star Indian athlete Neeraj Chopra has opted to withdraw from the upcoming Paavo Nurmi Games 2023, which is scheduled to take place on June 13 in Finland.
The Paavo Nurmi Games is an esteemed Finnish athletics event that has been held annually in Turku since 1957 and is recognised as a World Athletics Continental Tour Gold event.
Neeraj had achieved a remarkable feat at last year's Finland meet by securing a silver medal with a national record throw of 89.30m. Unfortunately, he had to conclude the 2022 season prematurely due to an injury.
Last month, Neeraj announced his decision to skip the FBK Games in the Netherlands due to a muscle strain he sustained during training.
The talented javelin thrower had been absent from major competitions for around eight months after his triumph at the Diamond League 2022 finals in Eugene, Oregon, in September of that year.
Neeraj marked his return from injury with a triumphant performance at the Doha Diamond League on May 5 this year, where he emerged victorious with a throw of 88.67m at the Qatar Sports Club.
In addition to skipping the FBK Games and Paavo Nurmi Games, Neeraj will also be absent from the National Inter-State Senior Athletics Championships 2023. His next scheduled tournament is the Golden Spike Ostrava in the Czech Republic, set to take place on June 27.
Neeraj is also expected to compete in the World Athletics Championships in August and the Asian Games in September.
Alongside Neeraj, former world champion Johannes Vetter from Germany has also chosen not to participate in the Paavo Nurmi Games. The two athletes, who previously faced off at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, were anticipated to renew their rivalry at the Finnish meet.
