Come Pressure Or Injury, Neeraj Chopra Keeps Going

Chandrayaan-3 descended successfully on the lunar surface a few days ago. Where would Neeraj Chopra’s javelin land?

That was the question in the minds of sports fans before the World Championship final in Budapest on Sunday night.

It landed far and well enough, a yellow and gray comet spearing into the grass at 88.17 metres. That’s more than the length of four cricket pitches. And the javelin weighs almost as much as five cricket balls.

Athletes often know at release or ball contact if they have unleashed a winner. Chopra knew too, and as he often does, celebrated before his almighty heave landed.

That one effort was enough for the 25-year-old from Haryana to win gold and add to his impressive collection of victories. Track and field is the mother of all sports and has global presence. It was unthinkable at one time that an Indian would dominate a discipline the way Chopra has. Today, the kid from Khandra, who took up sports to shed baby fat, has gold medals at the Olympics, World Athletics Championships, Commonwealth Games, Asian Games and Diamond League.

Let us not forget the final also had two other Indians, Kishore Kumar Jena and DP Manu. Jena threw a personal best of 84.77m for fifth place. Manu registered 84.14m to finish sixth.

Later, Chopra said, “It feels nice to win all these medals. The competition at the World Championships can be tougher than the Olympics and you can’t take any competitor lightly. European throwers can come up with a winning throw anytime.”

He is not obsessing over the 90m mark, which he has never reached. For him, it’s the medals that matter.

“I was shaping up to get there (90m) early this year but the muscle strain (which he has had since May) meant I needed to be cautious and avoid injuries. I have been throwing 88m since 2018 so a 90m throw may come anytime. There was a time when I would think about it, but not anymore. I have left it to time and destiny. For me, winning medals is more important than hitting 90m,” Chopra said.

Mentally too the World Athletics final was challenging, as Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem made a late charge. That added to Chopra’s pressure, given the India-Pakistan baggage. But he says he was prepared even if things went down to the last throw.

“When the competitors start doing well, you feel some pressure,” Chopra said. “You know you have to put a big throw in. I was prepared to bring out my best throw on my last attempt. I have a very strong belief that if needed, I can do that. I train for it.”

Last year was a bit tough for Chopra. A groin strain hampered his performance at the 2022 World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon. But despite the injury and extreme windy conditions, he won the silver.

The pressure of expectation was also building up and he appealed to fans to support an athlete during his lows and not just his victories.

“Yeh hi apne waha pe thodi dikkat hai, ki gold hi chahiye sabko (That is the slight issue back home, everyone only wants gold),” Chopra had said during a virtual press conference from Zurich.

“People need to understand athletics, just how high the competition is, the number of countries that compete in it. We need to support the athlete even during losses, not just their wins.”

But now, he is a winner. And Indians are overjoyed. Among the usual opportunistic messages by politicians were some from people who actually know what it takes.

“Immense pride watching Neeraj Chopra soar to victory at the World Championships in Budapest! Your dedication and hard work are an inspiration to all. Congratulations, World Champion. India shines brighter with stars like you,” tweeted Abhinav Bindra, India’s first individual Olympic gold medallist.

Now on to the Asian Games in September, and then the Olympics next year.