CHENNAI: No matter how many athletes India have sent, once again the focus will be on multiple Olympic and Worlds medallist Neeraj Chopra when the World Athletics Championships begins in Tokyo on Saturday. For India, he has been the most consistent sportsperson across disciplines since his comeback from injury in 2020 and the gold at the Olympics in Tokyo in 2021.
Neeraj, even though at times plagued by sensitive adductor niggles, managed to stay on top of the world. With Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem spoiling his party at the Paris Olympics with a monstrous 92.97m, the sport found a new romance in the rivalry between the once friendly throwers.
Needless to even to point out that when the javelin throw event begins on September 17 with the qualification followed by the final the next day, the India-Pakistan rivalry will be reignited at the National Stadium in Tokyo. But the challenge for Neeraj will not be limited to just Nadeem.
In fact, the Pakistan thrower had been struggling with injuries the entire season and has had a season’s best of 86.40m during the Asian Athletics Championships in Gumi, South Korea. Neeraj, on the other hand, has had his first 90m throw when he crossed the elusive mark at the Doha Diamond League in May, where he was upstaged by Germany’s Julian Weber.
Going by how the season has unfolded, one thrower Neeraj would be wary about is Weber who still is the season leader with a throw of 91.51m at Zurich Diamond League. Weber has crossed 91m thrice, twice at Zurich (91.37m, 91.51m) and once at Doha. Though Brazil’s up and coming thrower Luiz Mauricio da Silva has breached the 91m mark, his nerves would be tested on the biggest stage. Neeraj may have crossed 90m once, but going by overall record, Neeraj is considered a big game player.
Neeraj has settled down with his new coach, former world and Olympic champion, Jan Zelezny after his long-time coach Klaus Bartonietz exited after the Paris Games. Neeraj is also making some adjustments with his timing and release. According to Athletics Federation of India spokesperson Adille Sumariwalla he had a little timing issue. “He has made adjustments from what I understand on his approach and throw,” Sumariwalla had said days before the team left for Tokyo. “Once he gets the timing right, he is going to be absolutely fine at the World Championships.”
India may have fielded a 19-member team that includes 14 men and 5 women, but when it comes to genuine medal hope as of today it is Neeraj. Once touted as a medal hope, especially before the last World Championships, the declining form of triple and long jumpers too would be a concern. Jeswin Aldrin, who has had a personal best of 8.42m (national record in March, 2023) is struggling this season with a best of 7.83m in April. On the contrary, M Sreeshankar, who had been nursing a knee injury for 650 days crossed the 8-m mark in his first competition and qualified for the Worlds with some consistent efforts in his five competitions he got in about five-six weeks. Current forms of triple jumpers Praveen Chithravel and Abdulla Aboobacker too seem to be a worry. Chithravel, who equalled his national record of 17.37m in April this year, has not crossed the 17m mark since. Aboobacker too has followed the same curve after jumping 17.19m in March. He has failed to cross the 17m mark since then.
There are a few middle and long distance runners but according to former AFI chief Sumariwalla personal bests by athletes should be their target. The absence of 400m in both men and women is a reflection of a system that has failed after the men’s relay team finished fifth in the last edition of the World Championships and also created a national record of 2:59.05s. Both the men’s and women’s teams seem to be in tatters. Rebuilding is what the AFI has said. Differences between the foreign and Indian coaches in the 400m did not help matters.
Hopefully, good personal performances by the athletes would bring some kind of a solace to the athletics season at home mired in dipping forms and doping controversies.
