Risky for me to take part in National Games: Neeraj Chopra

Claiming that it will be a ‘bit risky’ to compete within the National Games after ‘just recovering from a groin injury, Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra hinted he might skip the event despite an Indian Olympic Association (IOA) missive making it mandatory for ‘eminent athletes’ to participate within the occasion.

A day after clinching the Diamond League Finals title in Zurich, Chopra stated: “The plan was that Zurich would be the last competition. Now suddenly the date for the National Games has come up. I had spoken to the coach and he said I need to rest. I just recovered from a groin injury. There was a plan to go on a vacation; my family and friends are here for a week or so. I won’t be able to train. So this will be a bit risky. I’d like to start focusing on next year.”

Chopra isn’t the one prime athlete who’s contemplating skipping the National Games, which shall be held in six cities throughout Gujarat from September 29 to October 12. Shuttlers PV Sindhu, Saina Nehwal and Kidambi Srikanth, too, are unlikely to compete within the Games.

Sindhu and Srikanth shall be in peak coaching, making ready for the Denmark Open, beginning October 18, and French Open, October 25 onwards. Ranking factors in these two occasions are essential, particularly for Sindhu who has set the year-ending World Tour Finals, with a hefty event prize cheque of USD 15,00,000, as a precedence event.

Incredible feeling to shut the 2022 season as Diamond Trophy winner. The ambiance was good and it was further particular to have my uncle and associates within the stadium. Happy to win my first 💎 trophy!

Sabhi ke pyaar aur help ke liye bahut bahut dhanyawad. 🙏🏻 🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/zfVlMHUEIx

— Neeraj Chopra (@Neeraj_chopra1) September 9, 2022

While Sindhu is second within the Race to Guangzhou rankings at present, Lakshya Sen is ninth and might want to play in Europe to make the reduce. Srikanth is twelfth within the race and is nursing an harm that’s restrained his efficiency for the reason that Commonwealth Games. On Thursday, he stated his first precedence is to return to the court docket as an alternative of competing within the National Games.

“I represent Andhra Pradesh. The state doesn’t have an entry in the team event, so I am still figuring out what to do about the individual event because I am injured at the moment. So the priority is to get back on court first,” Srikanth stated.

Nat’l Games over Vietnam Open

While the highest athletes are prioritizing restoration after a gruelling season or focusing on rating factors as an alternative of competing within the National Games, near a dozen Indian badminton gamers have determined to tug out from this month’s Vietnam Open to make themselves accessible for the home occasion.

A BWF Super 100 occasion that provides rating factors and complete prize cash of $75,000, the Vietnam Open is scheduled to be held in Ho Chi Minh City from September 27 to October 2. The badminton competitors of the National Games will happen in Surat from October 1 to six.

Consequently, given the dates had been overlapping, the shuttlers needed to choose one of many two occasions. Indian gamers had populated the attract every of the 5 classes – males’s and girls’s singles, males’s and girls’s doubles and blended doubles. However, officers stated round a dozen shuttlers determined to tug out of the competitors on Monday, September 5, which was the final day to withdraw entries.

On September 6, the IOA in a letter requested the National Sports Federations and State Olympic Associations to make sure ‘all eligible eminent athletes’ participate within the Games. Eminent athletes had been described as those who’ve taken half or received medals in worldwide competitions.

Some of the highest names within the Vietnam Open draw embrace Nehwal, Parupalli Kashyap, B Sai Praneeth, Subhankar Dey, Kiran George and recently-crowned junior World No. 1 Anupama Upadhyaya, amongst others. While Nehwal and Kashyap are more likely to compete in Vietnam, it’s learnt that second seed Praneeth, Dey, George, Upadhyaya and Mithun Manjunath are among the many gamers who’ve determined to withdraw from the event.

“The Vietnam tournament was clashing and that wasn’t a very big tournament. It isn’t a small event either, a Super 100 tournament. But National Games is Indian Olympics, in a way. Players have been waiting for it for a long time. So you had to compromise somewhere,” a badminton federation official stated. “State governments will give weightage to National Games results in terms of cash rewards and jobs. So that is good for the players as well.”