NEW DELHI: Olympic gold medallist Neeraj Chopra, who was in Delhi NCR on Friday to inaugurate an athlete wear store in Gurgaon, expressed deep sorrow over the tragic death of 25-year-old tennis player Radhika Yadav, who was allegedly shot by her father following a disagreement over her tennis academy.
Calling it a painful reminder of the challenges faced by women in sports, Chopra said, “Families must support women athletes, not stifle their dreams.”
Switching focus to his own journey, Neeraj shared insights into his preparation for the upcoming Tokyo World Championships. Currently training in the Czech Republic, Chopra is working under the guidance of javelin legend Jan Železný. He acknowledged technical issues still plaguing his performance.
“I have already identified the areas I need to work on. While throwing the spear I tend to run too much on my left side. We need to work on that. The difference appears during the training and the competition. My coach says that I waste a lot of my strength and power which I should apply on Javelin,” Chopra said on the sidelines an event organised by Under Armour.
“We are also working a lot on the run-up. In some competitions like Paris Diamond League and Doha Diamond League it was good but in Bengaluru it wasn't because there was a bit of headwind also. In Ostrava, I had the feeling that I can throw well but the run-up and technique wasn't good," he added.
He added that Železný, the world record holder and a childhood icon, was pleased with how the javelin event in India turned out. “He thanked me for bringing international attention to Indian javelin. That meant a lot coming from someone who has given his entire life to the sport.”
In a light-hearted moment, he also expressed curiosity about cricket throwers transitioning into javelin. “I want to see how ballers from cricket throw the javelin — it’s a different motion, but it’s still about throwing powerfully.”
Meanwhile, having taken on the responsibility of micromanaging a javelin competition that bore his name, Chopra likened the experience to “inviting guests home.”
“From food to accommodation, airport pickups to equipment delivery—I was involved in every small detail,” he said. “When the javelins were being retrieved slowly during the competition, I asked the volunteers to carry them manually so that the pace wouldn’t break. It was a different feeling. My name was attached to it, so I wanted everything to be perfect.”
“My family came to Bengaluru and they felt really good, first time my family members saw me competing live. In fact my mother started crying when I fell on my first throw. My grandfather was also there, he took his first flight, he is 75 plus now," he said.
Asked how it feels to now inspire the next generation, Chopra smiled: “Juniors now call me ‘bhaisaab.’ Earlier, no one did. Now I feel I’ve become a senior.”
He believes Indian athletes are both mentally and physically strong, but emphasized the need for more Indian coaches: “We can’t bring foreign coaches to every meet. We need Indian coaches who understand our system and stadiums deeply.”
Chopra also said that he wants the future Javelin throwers to be better than him. “I should fee like passing the baton to Usain Bolt.
