
CHENNAI: The revelation of widespread doping in recent Olympics has tarnished the reputation of athletics like never before. Nevertheless, the 2017 World Championship set to begin on August 4 in London is special for many reasons. The entire world is eagerly waiting to see Usain Bolt — arguably the greatest athlete ever — to complete his swansong. Another champion, Mo Farah, is sure to make headlines during the event as he looks to call time on his glittering career and move on to other areas.
While many are describing this year’s championship to be the end of an era, it is the start of a new one for some. Before the Olympics in Rio, the Indian contingent was hopeful and set targets that were barely achieved. Interestingly, this time, nobody has spoken much about how India will fare in London.
As far as India are concerned, the only genuine medal hope is javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra. Heaps of praise have been flowing in from all directions for the 19-year-old, who according to many could become the poster boy of Indian athletics in the years to come.
He shot to fame after a throw of 86.48 metres in Bydgoszcz, Poland to win the World U-20 title last year. But since then, Neeraj has been through a lot. Training without a foreign coach, the Haryana boy won gold at the Asian Athletics Championship in Bhubaneswar and managed fifth and seventh in two Diamond League meetings.
While previous examples have shown that Indians are not competent enough at the highest level, performances from athletes like Neeraj is a positive sign. While there is a lot of pressure on the youngster, Neeraj feels that being consistent is key. Even in Bhubaneswar, Neeraj did not have the best of starts. But that is common in events of such high magnitude. It will test your mettle and it is up to you to get the better of the situation.
“Yes, the pressure is there that people are expecting something from me, and I feel that I need to perform well, else people will start criticising. And that can sometimes get to you. Obviously, the aim is to always give my best and meet people’s expectations. There is the need to motivate yourself every day in the lead-up to the event, and you need to train hard and keep yourself in the best shape, both physically and mentally,” Neeraj told Express.
The gold at Asian Championships was encouraging. But, Neeraj’s performance at the Diamond League events was not very satisfactory. While it is harsh to criticise, that’s the reality. It’s all about how you perform when you are pitted against the world’s best and Neeraj agrees. “I competed against the world and Olympic champion. Though I could have done better, it gave me a lot of confidence. The more you compete against the best, the better it is.
Now, I know how it works and I’m ready for London,” he said.
Like everybody, a medal in London is the ultimate aim for Neeraj. But what gives him more motivation is the fact that more people have started following athletics in India. “It feels good that people are expecting so much. It shows that I have done something right. After the junior World Championships, people close to me, and the general public got the belief that I can achieve something. Also, people have started believing that athletes can do well even in throwing events.”