India, Sept. 14 -- "Neeraj bhai na rehne se thoda sa... jaise. unka fix rehta hai medal" (With Neeraj not being there, it feels a bit.his medal is usually fixed). Through this fragmented sentence, Rohit Yadav aptly sums up the absence of Neeraj Chopra.

India will have a 74-member athletics squad in Aichi-Nagoya for the Asian Games, but not the one athlete who carries an assured medal aura. The "fix" stamp, as per fellow javelin thrower Yadav.

The two-time Olympic and world championships medallist, and champion in the last two Asian Games, pulled out of the multi-sport event late last month due to an ankle ligament tear. His absence, dimming as it is to the athletics contingent's medal ambitions, provides an opportunity for someone else ...