CHENNAI: It’s just been five years since Neeraj Chopra catapulted into the limelight – winning gold at the U-20 World Championship in Poland in 2016 – but the star javelin thrower has already had to overcome quite a few significant hurdles. The biggest setback till date came in 2019 when he had to miss the entire season due to an elbow injury, and it seems like the run-up to the Tokyo Olympics is testing his resolve yet again.
With Covid causing havoc in India and track and field athletes unable to travel overseas for training and tournaments, Chopra is confined to the training centre at the National Institute of Sports (NIS) in sweltering Patiala heat. While the fact that he is not able to prepare for Tokyo by taking part in international competitions is frustrating the 23-year-old, the Covid tragedy unfolding in the country has made things difficult too. Understandably then, Chopra has shut himself off from the outside world, preferring not to look at his phone or watch television at his training base.
He looked in peak condition in March when he bettered his national record with a throw of 88.07m at the third Indian Grand Prix, but the lack of international competitions is weighing heavily on Chopra’s mind ahead of his maiden Olympics. Barring an event in South Africa in January 2020, which helped him qualify for the Olympics with a throw of 86.87m, he hasn’t taken part in a single international event since the 2018 Asiad.
“My training is going well, but I desperately need international competitions. Because of injury, I missed out on the 2019 season entirely and plans in 2020 were affected due to Covid. It’s the same story this year. It is frustrating. International competitions help you know where you stand. Without them, what is the point of training so much? You cannot just keep training here and expect to be at your best at the Olympics,” Chopra said during a media interaction organised by SAI.
Full story: newindianexpress.com