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New Delhi: Ever since the Tokyo Olympics, Neeraj Chopra has set a benchmark even for the normally none-too-involved Indian attitude towards athletics. Now, the most basic of followers also has his or her eyes on the javelin star and his progress. A 10-month hiatus since the Tokyo Games have not been able to take any attention away from the athlete, and the moment he returned to action, everyone was agog with interest, on how far he can fling that spear and what all he will win in the near future. As things stand, breaching the coveted 90-metre mark is just a matter of time for Chopra. With that, hopefully some more golden hue to the medals.
Neeraj’s Scandinavian journey for the current lot is done and dusted and if we are to understand correctly, he will now straightaway focus on the World Athletics Championship in the US from July 15 to 24.
What made this tour interesting was the assault on the 90-metre mark, which brought Chopra closer and closer, but still not quite there. Nevertheless, it was quite an outing, given his time away from competitive throwing.
One gold in the trying conditions of the Kuortane Games in Finland where an 86-plus throw was enough, bracketed by two silvers in the Paavo Nurmi Games and the Stockholm Diamond League were interesting results.
The fact however remains that there are challenges galore. Chopra threw 89.30 in the Paavo Nurmi Games in Turku, Finland, on August 11, a national record. But he was outdone by German Johannes Vetter’s 91.49.
In Stockholm, Chopra bettered his own mark with a throw of 89.94, but it was still just enough for second place as Grenada’s world champion Anderson Peters threw 90.31.
So, it is quite evident that a 90-metre throw in itself may not be enough for top honours, but that is just a stepping stone. In the top events, like the World Championships, a lot of things need to come together for any athlete to find the correct combination, and Chopra too will need those.
Challenges will come thick and fast. Vetter has a best of 96.29 while Peters has gone past the 93-metre mark. However, like we saw in Tokyo, what matters is who has the longest throw on that day.
The hype tends to get big in India very quickly. A javelin thrower of the calibre of Chopra is expected to break national marks out of sheer habit, but that in itself becomes a big thing. An appreciable effort, such marks should however be acknowledged and better things expected.
One is sure that Chopra is able to keep all of this out of his head as he approaches another big day on his life in the US in July. That is where his real mettle will be tested and we are sure he’ll be up to it.
