Asia

Everyone has been asking about 90m throw, it will happen when the time comes: Neeraj Chopra

August 27, 2022
Henry Club

Neeraj Chopra has never paid much attention to the buzz around him. He almost brushed off any talk of pressure that may come with the stature of an Olympic champion.

A day after scripting history as he became the first Indian to clinch a Diamond League Meeting title by winning the Lausanne leg, Neeraj feels the 90m throw will happen when the time comes, and he is not thinking about it much.

“It’s been a great year for me so far. I have gone over 89m thrice out of the five competitions, 88.3m in the World Championship, and managed to do well in Kuortane Games with 86.69m despite the challenging weather. So, the performance has been consistent and now the focus is on doing well in Zurich,” said Neeraj.

Chopra has been targeting the 90-metre mark and it could be just a matter of time before he achieves the target. The final in Zurich will provide him one last opportunity this year after which he will likely end his season.

” Yes, everyone has been asking about 90m throw, it will happen when the time comes, I don’t have any pressure about it as such,” he added.

Chopra, 24, had to pull out of the Birmingham Commonwealth Games due to a groin injury he had suffered while winning a silver during the World Championships last month.

At Lausanne Diamond League, he hurled the spear to 89.08m in his first attempt to seal the win in style.

“I had to skip Commonwealth Games due to groin injury, and I felt that I will have to end the season. But there wasn’t much pain, so I had the belief that I will recover before the tournament. I made some good throws in the training and was feeling well, hence we made the decision to compete here,” he said.

Chopra rested and rehabilitated for a month but it looked like the injury had not happened at all as he continued his vintage form. The 89.08m throw was his third career-best effort. Neeraj’s second throw measured 85.18m before passing on his third attempt. His fourth throw was a foul while he again passed his fifth attempt before coming up with 80.04m in the sixth and last round.

“I did my rehab in Germany with my coach and physio Ishaan Marwaha. It went really well. I had very limited time to prepare but the proper planning in rehab helped me recover quickly,” he added.

The youngster from Khandra village near Panipat in Haryana became the first Indian to win a Diamond League crown. Before Chopra, discus thrower Vikas Gowda is the only Indian to have finished in top three in a Diamond League Meet.

2008 Olympic gold medallist Abhinav Bindra was also present at the event and was cheering for Neeraj from the stand.

“It was a special night, felt really good to win and most importantly, made a comeback with a very good throw. Abhinav Bindra sir, IOC President Thomas Bach sir and the crowd were cheering for me, I enjoyed and felt really good to perform in such a great atmosphere,” he said.

Chopra also qualified for the 2023 World Championships in Budapest, Hungary by breaching the 85.20m qualifying mark.

Chopra had finished second in the Stockholm leg of the prestigious event behind Peters with a national record throw of 89.94m, just 6cm short of the 90m mark, the gold standard in the world of javelin throw.

“This win is very important for our country. I feel we shouldn’t be only focusing on the events that happen after four or two years. Competitions like Diamond League Meet or Continental Tour are really good opportunities for athletes. It happens every year, and it gives us opportunities to do well. It really helps prepare well for the major tournaments because world-class athletes participate here,” he said.

Opening up on the 2023 World Championships, Neeraj said, “It’s an advantage to qualify for the World Championship much in advance as there are other tournaments like Asian Games and Asian Championships lined up as well, so next year will be very important. And, then the Paris Olympics in 2024. So the World Championship qualification is already out of the picture, I can prepare well for all the competitions.”

Chopra also qualified for the 2023 World Championships in Budapest, Hungary by breaching the 85.20m qualifying mark.

On the 2023 World Championships, Neeraj said: “It’s an advantage to qualify for the World Championship much in advance as there are other tournaments like Asian Games and Asian Championships lined up as well, so next year will be very important. And, then the Paris Olympics in 2024. So the World Championship qualification is already out of the picture, I can prepare well for all the competitions.”