India's javelin star Neeraj Chopra on Friday said he will do whatever it takes to defend his title in next year's Paris Olympics and then at the World Championships.
Chopra recently became the World Champion in Budapest. Having won the Olympic gold in 2021, he is only the third javelin thrower in history to hold both titles.
"Meri koshish hai ki mujhe mera title phir se dohrana hai. (My endeavour would be to defend my title) I will do whatever is needed for that,” Chopra said in a virtual press conference on Friday.
On Thursday, the 25-year-old finished second at the Zurich Diamond League. Not surprisingly, he attributed it to the lack of enough time between the Budapest and Zurich events.
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He said, "I was actually worried I might finish outside the top-8 in Zurich”, before admitting, “Yesterday's throws were not good." Chopra also mentioned the healthy banter between him and Julian Weber. "It is important in sports,” he said.
When asked about the love and recognition he is getting from across the world, Chopra said, "Javelin is a global sport now and the popularity is growing. I saw many Indian flags in Budapest and here in Zurich as well. It feels good. I always wanted to do something for the country. My dream has come true. Children should take up sports and must be involved in any physical activity. I want to inspire children. Agar mai kar sakta hu to aap bhi kar sakte ho (If I can do it, so can you).”
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When Chopra clinched the World Championship title in Budapest, Pakistan's Arshad Nadeem was the runner-up. There is mutual respect between both the athletes. Asked if he would invite Arshad for lunch at his house, Chopra said, "Not just him, I welcome everyone. All throwers are invited. We are competitors only on the field. Everyone wants to win medals for their country. But off the field, we all are friends.”
The Eugene Diamond League (September 16-17) is Chopra’s next stop, and then come the Asian Games (September 23-October 8). That’s two back to back challenges, so his plan now is to not tinker too much with his game and focus on rest, diet and calm preparation.
"I will rest for a few days now. I will try to maintain my rhythm and body. Nothing to add or drop at this point. Just eat healthy and stay as injury-free as possible," he said.
As an icon of Indian sport, Chopra also had an encouraging word for Para athletes. Asked if he talks to them regularly, he replied in the affirmative and said, "Yes, they are doing good. Sumit (Antil) was the World Champion in Paris. I feel bad for Sandeep (Chaudhary) because of his injuries. And yes, I talk to Sundar (Singh Gurjar). They are going well. People get inspired and motivated by watching them.”
