After clinching a silver medal at the Paris Olympics, star javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra has expressed his intention to compete in India against other renowned global names in the near future.
Neeraj Chopra achieved a throw of 89.45 metres in Paris, finishing behind Pakistan's Arshad Nadeem, who set an Olympic record with a throw of 92.97 metres.
The competition saw several prominent javelin throwers, including Julian Webber, Jakub Vadlejch, and Julius Yego, with Grenada’s Anderson Peters securing third place with a throw of 88.54 metres..
"It's a dream of mine to compete with other international stars in India. Hopefully, there will be an international competition soon in India and I can do that," Chopra shared during an interactive session with fans organised by Olympics.com, as reported by PTI.
Before pursuing this goal, Chopra, whose silver medal marked his second consecutive Olympic medal following his gold in Tokyo, mentioned his focus on improving specific aspects of his performance. "I am entering a new season now. So, I don't have that much time to change training methods or technique. But I hope to improve upon a couple of areas, especially the line of the javelin. You know, the correct angle of throwing so that I get more power in my throw. I will certainly work on it," he said.
Despite not being at his physical best, Chopra was determined to give his all during the Paris Games final. "The body conditions (of his) were tough. But when Arshad made that throw...I was able to hit my season's best because the thought was set in my mind that I had to give the best throw because the competition had already become very tough."
Chopra and Nadeem's mothers, who have shared affectionate interactions on social media, have captured public attention. Chopra described his mother as a straightforward country woman who speaks from the heart. "My mother…she always stayed in a village before and after her marriage. She is not familiar with social media and things like that. She often speaks from her heart. But she understands what families of athletes, even from different countries, feel towards them."
(With Agency Inputs)
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