India’s Neeraj Chopra still pleased with Olympic javelin silver but eyes bigger returns
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Gold medallist Arshad Nadeem of Pakistan (centre) with silver medallist Neeraj Chopra of India (left) and bronze medallist Anderson Peters of Grenada.
PHOTO: REUTERS
NEW DELHI – India’s javelin star Neeraj Chopra admitted on Aug 17 that missing out on Olympic gold hurt, but the injury-hit athlete is aiming for bigger returns in upcoming competitions.
The 26-year-old won silver at the Paris Games after Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem clinched the gold with an Olympic record of 92.97m in the javelin final.
Chopra, who made history at Tokyo 2020 with India’s first-ever Olympic track-and-field gold in 87.58m, threw further in the French capital with 89.45m – not too far off his personal best of 89.94m.
But it failed to beat Nadeem’s remarkable effort.
“There is no comparison with a gold medal,” Chopra told reporters by phone from Switzerland, where he is training for upcoming tournaments.
“Winning back-to-back medals for your nation is good and also taking a lap of the ground with your country’s flag is always a wonderful feeling. But the national anthem playing when your flag goes up with you on top of the podium was missing (in Paris).”
However, he said he was still pleased with his silver.
“We have to accept what we have,” he added. “I am happy with what I got.”
Chopra built on his breakout success in Tokyo in 2021 by winning World Championship gold in 2023, but missed a few competitions due to a groin injury.
But the well-built star, who hails from the northern Indian state of Haryana – a nursery of athletes including Olympic wrestlers and boxers, remains confident of future success.
“I believed that I could cover more distance,” Chopra said on his mindset after Nadeem’s monster throw in Paris.
That said, he will not set himself targets of 90m and more.
“I leave this to God. Just prepare well, and give it a rip, the javelin will travel,” he said.
The Indian became a national hero after his Tokyo gold, earning million-dollar endorsement deals with his boyish charm, changing hairstyles and an infectious smile.
Pakistan’s Nadeem similarly shot to overnight stardom after his throw gave his nation its first individual Olympic gold – the other three are from men’s hockey. The 27-year-old’s father-in-law gifted him a buffalo for the Olympic feat.
While it remains to be seen if the Pakistani would also earn those big-money deals, Chopra was not surprised by the simple gift his rival received, saying that he too had been given a large container of ghee, or clarified butter.
“In Indian villages... gifts such as buffaloes, motorbikes and tractors are common,” he explained. AFP
