Neeraj Chopra is the most talked about personality of Indian sports nowadays. He got this position by winning the gold medal in javelin throw at the Tokyo Olympics. After this, for the first time, he is going to have a tough test. This exam is to be held in the World Athletics Championships. This is a championship in which India’s record has not been very good. In this we have the only bronze medal from long jumper Anju Bobby George. He won it at the 2003 Paris Championships, which is now almost 19 years old. But if Neeraj can replicate the spirit he displayed in the Olympics, he will become the first player in 14 years to win a gold medal in the javelin event at both the Olympics and the World Championships. Earlier, Norway’s Andreas Thornildsson had achieved this distinction in 2008-09.
what will be the color of the medal
Neeraj Chopra, the poster boy of Indian athletics, started preparations for this championship from December last year. Looking at his recent performances, it seems that he can win a medal in this championship as well. Now what its color will be, it is difficult to say. However, to prepare for this championship, he participated in three championships and managed to break his previous record in two of them. There are many special points in his performance in the last one year.
first, He started the season with a throw of 89.30m at the Pavo Nurmi Games and bettered his national record in it.
another, In June this year, at a championships in Finland, he threw a javelin 86.89m. This performance was considered special because the runup had become slippery due to rain. It’s performance matters in these tough times.
third, He may have been runner-up in the Stockholm Diamond League, but his best performance of 89.94m certainly made him feel that he had high intentions for the World Championship.
The joy of Olympic gold: Neeraj Chopra after giving a golden performance in Tokyo (file photo)
Neeraj Chopra aims to cross the 90m barrier during the Javelin World Championships event to be held in Eugene, USA, from July 21-23. For this, he has to improve by only six centimeters in his performance in the Diamond League. But Neeraj says that he will focus on giving his best without taking the pressure of the 90m barrier. There is no doubt that there is pressure on players while participating in important competitions like Olympics and World Championships. The athlete who is able to control his heartbeat during that time, Sehra ties his head. The performance of some even gets shattered under this pressure. Neeraj Chopra is generally known as the master of emotions to remove the fear inside the mind. But being an Olympic champion, there will be additional pressure on him from the expectations of 1.25 billion countrymen. How he copes with the pressure and obstacles in these games will determine his success.
One, The biggest obstacle in Neeraj Chopra’s road to the title is 2019 Championships winner Anderson Peters, who this season has thrown the javelin 93.07m away. If he repeats this performance, then the gold medal will be in his name. But it is not easy to give your best in this kind of championship. This is the reason that Neeraj has even beaten him in the Pavo Nurmi Games and the Cuortano Games.
Two, Olympic silver medalist Jakub Waldech (90.88m), Finland’s Oliver Heilander (89.83m) and Trinidad’s Keshorn Walkat could also face a formidable challenge for Neeraj.
Indian players may get lesser successes but whenever they do, the celebrations are celebrated in a big way. Even after winning the Olympic gold of Neeraj, there was an atmosphere of celebration across the country and the process of honoring him continued for a long time. As a result, the weight of Neeraj Chopra increased by 12 kg during this period. So when he started training in Chula Vista, America, the first target was to lose 12 kg.
good in the last throw too
It is believed that Neeraj tries to give his best in the opening throw itself. He also won the gold medal in Tokyo Olympics with a throw of 87.53m. However, Neeraj himself does not agree with this. He says- That’s right, I try to give my best in the first and second throw. But this effort has to be continued in the forward throws as well, because sometimes the decision depends on the last throw as well. This is also proved by his last attempt at the 2017 Asian Championships, winning the gold medal with a throw of 85.23m. Similarly, he made a national record of 88.07 meters on the last throw at the Indian Grand Prix last year.
There is no doubt that Neeraj Chopra will be burdened with the expectations of the people of India. But it is equally true that the prayers of every Indian will also be with them. These prayers will definitely motivate him to perform as successful as Tokyo.
Disclaimer: The views expressed above are those of the author.