Not how I hoped to end the season but will be back stronger: Neeraj Chopra

New Delhi, Sep 19 (PTI) Indian javelin throw ace Neeraj Chopra on Friday said that the disappointing eighth-place finish at the World Championships was not how he had hoped to end his season but vowed to come back stronger after the break.

Troubled by back pain, Chopra, the defending gold-medallist, could manage a best of just 84.03 to be eliminated after the fifth round of finals in Tokyo on Thursday. He later revealed that the back issue had been hampering him since the beginning of this month but he did not want to cite this as the reason for the below-par show.

On Friday, he complimented debutant Sachin Yadav, who outperformed him with a spirited 86.27m throw that left him fourth in the standings.

"It's not how I had hoped to end the season, at the World Championships in Tokyo. I wanted to step out there and give my best for India despite all the challenges but it wasn't my night," he posted on X.

"I'm really happy for Sachin, who threw a personal best and almost brought home a medal. Congratulations to @keshorn_walcott, @peters_oly and @Curt_Thompson on their well-deserved podium places," he said.

The gold went to Keshorn Walcott (88.16m) of Trinidad and Tobago, followed by Grenada's Anderson Peters (87.38m) and American Curtis Thompson (86.67m).

The 27-year-old Haryana-lad, who is a two-time Olympic medallist, promised to come back stronger.

"Grateful for all your support, this only makes me determined to come back stronger," he said. PTI PM PM PDS PDS