PARIS: Mind matters. The voices in the brain did not let Neeraj Chopra focus on his throws.
"Andar abhi bhi bahut throw baki hai (still have more throws in me," he kept repeating at the mixed zone after his silver at the Paris 2024 Olympics. He was shaking his head most of the time. The silver medal was his but he did not seem content. There was turmoil within. Then he spoke about the most dreaded thing possible. Injury. His groin has been troubling him since 2017. The year has not been ideal in the run up to the Games. He missed most of the competitions this year. There were suspicions of injury when he pulled out of a few international events on the European circuit. His original plan was to compete in at least four major events but he ended with just two. Doha Diamond League and the Paavo Nurmi Games in Turku. He was saving himself for the Olympics.
“I could focus only 60 per cent on my throws because of the injury,” he said adding that he was not been able to get the right block. He had only one legitimate throw from six something that is unheard of. Even he termed it unusual . “It was because of my hand did I manage to throw this far,” he said.
Neeraj is set to undergo a surgery after the Games. “I have learnt one thing that more than skill it’s the mind,” he said.
The voices cluttered his brain and cast doubts. In high level competitions like the Olympics this can be the most dreaded thing.