After spending close to three months in Chula Vista, US, Neeraj Chopra has flown back to India. The 23-year-old Olympic champion is expected to reach on Saturday night and stay in India for the next three to four weeks at least. He along with his support staff left for the US in early December.
According to a top Athletics Federation of India official, Neeraj has come back to India after completing his scheduled 90-day training in Chula Vista. Though the AFI had initially said he would be training abroad till the World Championships, there seems to be a change in the plan right now. Neeraj's coach Klaus Bartonietz and physio Ishaan Marwah too are back.
With the India Grand Prix 1 and 2 scheduled on March 13 and 23 in Thiruvananthapuram, there is a likelihood that Neeraj might feature in one of the events. But the final call will be taken later. Though the AFI would want him to compete, everything depends on the athlete's training and competition schedule. And fitness.
Neeraj would be training in National Centre of Excellence, Patiala for the time being before going to Antalya in Turkey early next month. "He has come back and will be here until the end of this month," AFI Planning Committee Chairman, Lalit Bhanot, told this newspaper, adding that it's part of his training programme. Bhanot said that he would be travelling to Antalya by the end of this month or early next month. Because of the Omicron outbreak in January, the AFI had earlier thought of continuing his training abroad.
With the Worlds slated for July in Oregan, Neeraj is expected to compete in Europe in June before shifting to the US again. His coach Bartonietz, who is already in India, had told this newspaper that Neeraj would begin with Doha Diamond League in May before shifting to Europe.