For a star-starved nation, Neeraj Chopra is an oddity—he likes to keep his sporting world simple, just like his life. Yet, since 2021, he has kept the country mesmerised with consistent success. The records support the claim with élan—top-two finishes in 26 consecutive international competitions including the Olympics, World Championships and Diamond Leagues. It is perhaps the second-longest run after that of Jan Železný, Neeraj’s previous coach and world record holder who had 33 consecutive top-two finishes. If you count top-three finishes, Neeraj’s record stretches to 33 competitions on the trot.
The enviable streak ended at the World Championships last September, where Neeraj competed with an injury. After an extended rehabilitation, he made a comeback last Friday at the Diamond League in Doha, the competition where he first threw beyond 90 metres last year. He finished fourth this time, a position he is not accustomed to. Injuries are still bothering him—an adductor issue during the Olympics and a back problem at the Worlds were followed by an injured ankle and shoulder during rehabilitation. Given this, last week’s throw of 85.69 m was commendable, because it was better than what he was throwing at training. It now sets him up for two of the biggest competitions this year—the Commonwealth and Asian Games.
The road, however, will not be easy. Apart from navigating injuries, India’s greatest athlete has to exorcise his mental demons, too. More so after two South Asian athletes bettered his best throws—92.97 m by Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem at the Paris Olympics and 92.62 m by Sri Lanka’s Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage at the Rome Diamond League a couple of weeks ago. The effort will now be of a different order for Neeraj, who was their inspiration. While training with his old coach Jai Chaudhary, the 28-year-old will have to focus on how much he can endure physically and mentally. In his own words, the Commonwealth challenge will not be any less than the Olympics with names like Nadeem, Rumesh and Grenada’s Anderson Peters in the fray. Carrying the burden of a star-starved nation’s expectations will not be easy. The next six months, which may redefine his sporting legacy, could well be Neeraj’s biggest test.
