Neeraj Chopra, India’s Tokyo 2020 Olympics javelin throw champion, may train abroad for most of the season, but he closely follows Indian athletics. According to him, recent results achieved by India’s track and field athletes have made him believe that India can consistently win medals in major tournaments in the future. In fact, he feels that the next few years are going to be great for athletics in India.
Chopra recently met several athletes, including Praveen Chithravel and Jeswin Aldrin, and he is impressed with their skills. Both are world-class athletes in their early 20s, and they have the hunger to perform well. Chopra believes that they and other Indian athletes can definitely win events in the Diamond League and other major tournaments.
Aldrin set a new national record in the long jump with a world-leading effort of 8.42m at the Indian Open Jumps Competition in Bellary last month. Chithravel’s 17.17m triple jump at the same competition is the second-best in the world this season. At the Indian Grand Prix 4, Shaili Singh produced an excellent effort in the women’s long jump with a jump of 6.76m, the best leap in Indian long jump history since Anju Bobby George’s national record-setting effort of 6.83m at the Athens 2004 Olympics. Tejinderpal Singh Toor threw over 21m in the shot put, indicating that Indian athletics is growing.
Chopra, who holds the Indian national record with a best of 89.94m, is looking forward to the upcoming World Championships, the Asian Games, and the defence of his Wanda Diamond League title. He has been training hard and is determined to break the 90m mark this summer.
The Diamond League, which consists of 14 meets, will culminate in a final over two days in Eugene on September 16-17. Fans can expect to see some of the world’s best athletes compete in a range of track and field events, including the javelin throw.
The Indian athlete missed the 2022 Doha Meeting due to an injury. However, this time, he is determined to defend his Wanda Diamond League title, alongside competing in the World Championships and Asian Games. Chopra has set his sights on breaking the 90m mark this summer, a goal that is very close to his heart.”
The Doha Meeting promises to be an exciting event, with Peters, Vadlejch, and Chopra leading the pack. At the 2022 Doha Meeting, Peters put on a javelin masterclass, breaking the national record and producing the fifth-longest throw in history at 93.07m. Meanwhile, Vadlejch, the European silver medallist and bronze medallist in Eugene, recorded a personal best by throwing his first-ever throw over 90m at 90.88m.
With Chopra’s international success, there have been high expectations from India’s javelin throw athletes, especially after his gold medal win in Tokyo 2020. There are several javelin throwers who are consistently registering over 80m, and it is possible that someone throws over 80m in a national competition and doesn’t win a medal. Chopra sees this as a sign that athletics is growing in India, and people are recognizing it.
Chopra will start his 2023 season with Doha Diamond League on May 5. He won’t be the only Indian athlete to compete in Diamond League events this year, as Eldhose Paul, the Commonwealth Games triple jump champion, will also be competing in Doha. After Doha, Chopra has a long season ahead of him, where he will look to defend his titles at the Asian Games and Diamond League and turn his silver at the World Championships last year into gold.
Chopra was unable to defend his title at the Commonwealth Games last year due to injury and wants to ensure that his 2023 season does not have any setbacks. Therefore, his focus this year is to train in a way that he can avoid injury as much as possible. Although preventing random injuries is not always possible in sports, Chopra is determined to finish this season successfully.
In conclusion, Indian athletics is growing and showing great potential in major tournaments. With Chopra’s inspiration and guidance, along with other world-class athletes like Chithravel, Aldrin, Singh, and Toor, the future looks bright for Indian athletics. They have the hunger, talent, and determination to win medals consistently and bring glory to India in international competitions.
Also Read: Neeraj Chopra to begin Diamond League 2023 title defence in May this year
