Top of the worlds, Neeraj is the spark Indian sports needs
It was close to midnight, and millions were glued to the TV sets. It was not for cricket or European football. It was for one man—Neeraj Chopra—the Olympic and now world champion. The junior world champ is now the senior king. For a javelin thrower to attract such a hedonistically crazy following is rare in a country that eats, sleeps and breathes cricket. Perhaps Neeraj is that antidote that people in India have been waiting for. And he has not disappointed so far. What sets Neeraj apart from the rest is his consistency and the ease with which he throws the javelin to medal-winning distances.
He will again lead India’s charge at the Asian Games in September-October and the Olympics next year. He has won everything athletics can offer (Olympic, Worlds, Diamond League final title, senior and junior titles), yet the hunger for more is still alive in the 25-year-old athlete. His coach, Klaus Bartonietz, succinctly describes him: “It is not difficult to motivate him. He is already a motivated and focused athlete.” Amidst his stellar performances, we tend to ignore his bigger role in the growth of sport—inspiring a new generation of javelin throwers. For the first time, three Indians, including Neeraj, qualified for the final. Kishore Jena, competing against his idol Neeraj, performed his personal best and finished fifth, while D P Manu managed a sixth finish.
Indians scorched the track on the last two days, too. After a crushing bottom-half finish by Avinash Sable in the 3000m steeplechase, Parul Chaudhury emerged as one of India’s finest in women’s steeplechase, breaking the long-standing national record in the final and qualifying for the Paris Olympics. In 4x400m, four men — Muhammed Anas, Amoj Jacob, Ajmal Variyathodi, and Rajesh Ramesh — came out of the blue and threatened the world order with an Asian record on Saturday and a fifth finish in the final against leading countries like the USA.
It was a balm on the sore early days when Sable and long jumper M Sreeshankar crashed out from qualifying events. Away from athletics, HS Prannoy secured his first bronze medal at the world championships after beating world No. 1 Viktor Axelsen, days after the U20 women’s team won the world championships title in wrestling. Ahead of the Paris Olympics next year, this spark gives hope. However, to turn Paris into a success, one must not rest on the laurels but try to strive for more.