Neeraj Chopra's place in India's athletics squad for the Commonwealth Games 2026 in Glasgow remains provisional, with the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) confirming on 14 June that the Olympic champion is the only athlete in the 32-member contingent yet to achieve the mandatory qualification mark. Triple jumper Selva Prabhu faces a separate performance condition for his inclusion to be finalised.

What AFI Said About Chopra's Selection

AFI spokesperson and World Athletics vice-president Adille Sumariwalla left no ambiguity during a virtual press conference, stating that every other selected athlete has already cleared the qualifying standard — except Chopra. 'Neeraj has to qualify. Everybody else has qualified. Those who are selected, everybody has achieved the qualifying standard. So, Neeraj will have to qualify,' Sumariwalla said.

The federation is currently awaiting details of when the reigning world champion will return to competition following his recovery from injury. 'He'll let us know in a couple of days, we don't know yet. He's working out his competition schedule. He's just recovered, so he's good, he's fit. He's training fit now, he has to get competition fit,' Sumariwalla added.

Selva Prabhu's Conditional Inclusion

Unlike Chopra, triple jumper Selva Prabhu has technically achieved the qualifying standard, but his confirmation in the squad hinges on his performance at the upcoming interstate championships. Sumariwalla explained that the federation is uncertain about the athlete's current form. 'Selva has already qualified, but he'll have to jump very close to his qualifying if we have to consider him, because we don't know his present status as of today. And he himself has asked to come and participate, and he said that he would like to come and qualify at the interstate,' he said.

Chopra's Injury Recovery and Return Timeline

Neeraj Chopra has been sidelined with a back injury and is only now returning to full training. According to Sumariwalla, the javelin star could be competition-ready within approximately 10 days. 'Neeraj is now training fit, and he's getting ready to compete probably in the next 10 days or so. So let's wait and see that,' he said.

This comes amid growing anticipation around Chopra's return to the competitive circuit. The Commonwealth Games 2026 would represent a significant milestone for the athlete, who has not competed at the Games since his gold-medal performance at Birmingham 2022. Notably, Chopra skipped the 2022 edition's athletics programme due to injury concerns at the time, making his Glasgow campaign — if confirmed — a closely watched return.

Update on Jyoti Yaraji

Sumariwalla also provided an encouraging update on middle-distance runner Jyoti Yaraji, who has been sidelined in recent months. 'Jyoti is recovering, recovering well and recovering fast. Let's see, she's also training fit, she now has to get competition fit,' he said. Her participation in Glasgow will similarly depend on her competitive readiness in the coming weeks.

With the Commonwealth Games 2026 approaching, the AFI is expected to finalise the athletics squad after the interstate championships, where several conditional selections will be put to the test.