National Games 2022: [Watch] Neeraj Chopra arrives in Ahmedabad to attend the opening ceremony

Ace Indian athletes Neeraj Chopra and PV Sindhu are among the distinguished athletes who will be present at the opening ceremony of the National Games 2022. The opening ceremony, which is likely to be a glitzy affair, will take place in Ahmedabad on Thursday, September 29.

Neeraj, who has opted out of the 36th National Games, arrived in Ahmedabad on Wednesday, September 28.

Dressed in a white t-shirt and jeans, Neeraj was accorded a warm welcome at the Ahmedabad airport. Watch the clip here:

Neeaj Chopra, after having a successful World Athletics Championships and the Diamond League, took off to Switzerland for a brief holiday. The ace athlete opted out of the National Games to concentrate on the season ahead after having a jam-packed season.

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Neeraj Chopra culminates a good season

Neeraj Chopra became the first Indian athlete to win an Olympic gold.

Neeraj Chopra has won most of the silverware on offer this season. The ace javelin thrower won the gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics last year, storming into the record books when he became the first Indian athlete to win an Olympic gold.

He continued his good form into the World Championships where won the silver medal, the second Indian winner to finish on the podium at the World Championships after Anju Bobby George's bronze medal in the 2003 edition.

Given his form, he was touted to defend his Commonwealth Games title, however, an injury forced him out of the prestigious quadrennial event.

The Indian then returned to win the Diamond League finals in Zurich earlier this month, adding another feather to his cap by becoming the first Indian to win a Diamond League trophy.

The only half-finished job Neeraj now has is to breach the coveted 90m mark, considered the gold standard in javelin throw. He also looks good to be a medal contender at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

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PV Sindhu to attend opening ceremony

PV Sindhu has also withdrawn from the glitzy sporting spectacle as she is yet to recover from an ankle stress fracture sustained at the Commonwealth Games 2022.

Sindhu, however, will be in attendance for the grand opening ceremony of the National Games 2022.

Surat, Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar, Vadodara, Rajkot, and Bhavnagar are the six host cities for the much-anticipated event. Around 8,000 athletes will take part in 36 sporting disciplines in the Games.