NEW DELHI: Olympic gold medallist Neeraj Chopra has decided to extend his European stay with an eye on competing in multiple gold label events as part of his preparation for the upcoming athletics World Championships and Asian Games later this year.
TOI has learnt that the sports ministry's Mission Olympic Cell on Friday approved the javelin thrower's proposal to fund his training in Germany's Saarbrucken and Switzerland's Magglingen ahead of the Worlds in Budapest (August 19 to 27) and Asiad in Hangzhou (September 23 to October 8).
Neeraj won the Diamond League meet in Lausanne on Friday. He will head to Saarbrucken on July 5 and then to Magglingen on August 1 to prepare for the Worlds. This means Neeraj will return to India only after competing at the Asiad after adding a couple of fresh tournaments to his competition schedule in Europe.
In June, he was supposed to compete at the FBK Games in Hengelo and Paavo Nurmi Games in Finland. However, the reigning Diamond League champion underwent rehabilitation for his injury initially in Doha and then in Magglingen to recover from the muscle strain.
As part of his proposal, Neeraj will spend 47 days towards pre-World Championships training from July 5 to August 20 in Saarbrucken (July 5 to 31) and in Magglingen (August 1 to 20). The government will cover the expenses incurred for Neeraj, his coach Dr Klaus Bartonietz and physiotherapist Ishaan Marwaha.
