Starting early preparation for next year's competitions, India's star javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra is set to travel to Potchefstroom, South Africa later this month for an off-season training stint. The double Olympic medallist is scheduled to spend 31 days in the South African city.
The Sports Ministry will fund Neeraj's training stint.
"(He) will start his training early and will be in Potchefstroom for a period of 31 days," the ministry said in a statement on Friday.
"Neeraj's training session will be funded by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (MYAS) and the expenditure will cover his and his Physiotherapist's lodging, boarding, and training cost for his stay in South Africa", the statement added.
In the past, Chopra has trained in Potchefstroom many times, including ahead of Tokyo and Paris Olympics.
He also participated in a competition there in January 2020, just before the COVID-19 pandemic struck the world. He finished on top with a throw of 87.86m at the ACNW League Meeting 1 at McArthur Stadium.
Chopra battled an adductor muscle niggle throughout the year and it also affected his performance at both the Paris Olympics and the Diamond League Final, where he competed with a fractured left hand.
He had earlier spoken about consulting doctors at the end of the season to decide whether to go for surgery to fix the problem.
But talking to PTI on September 27, he had played down injury concerns and also stated that he would look to improve his technique.
"It was an injury-plagued year but the injury is fine now, I will be 100 per cent fit for the new season," he had said.
Chopra, who added a silver medal at the Paris Olympics to his gold won in Tokyo Games three years back, recently parted ways with his German coach Klaus Bartonietz, ending a hugely successful five-year partnership.
Indian athletics chief coach Radhakrishnan Nair had stated that a new coach for Chopra is likely be appointed before the end of the year.
Chopra's main aim next year will be to defend the World Championships gold in Tokyo besides also working hard to hit the 90m mark.
He had won gold in the 2023 World Championships in Budapest, Hungary with a throw of 88.17m. He has a personal best of 89.94m, just 6cm short of the 90m mark.
In the Paris Olympics, his silver-winning throw was 89.45m and he was bested by Pakistan's Arshad Nadeem, who broke the Games record with a 92.97m effort.
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