Neeraj vows to win next DL meeting after finishing second in Doha
DOHA: Olympic and world champion javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra vowed to go one step ahead in the next Diamond League meeting after finishing a close second during the Doha leg here.
Chopra finished second at the Doha Diamond League as his big final effort of 88.36m fell short by just two centimetres of Jakub Vadlejch’s winning effort on Friday night.
The 26-year-old Chopra trailed the veteran Czech -- who won the title with his third throw of 88.38m -- throughout the competition.
Chopra, taking part in his first competition of the season, made a last ditch effort but the Indian superstar failed to defend the title.
Two-time world champion Anderson Peters took the third sport with a throw measuring 86.62m.
“The most important competition for me this year is Paris Olympics, but Diamond League meetings are important too. This was the opener for me this season, I finished second with a narrow two centimetre margin but next time I will try to draw far and try to win,” Chopra said.
The next Diamond League meeting which has men’s javelin as a discipline will be held in Paris on July 7.
Chopra also thanked the Indian diaspora in Qatar for supporting him.
“The support I am getting from the Indian people here in Qatar is always amazing, there aren’t words enough for me to thank them for their support. “Maybe in some years the Indian will throw really far! I feel really proud that I am an Indian.”
At each DL meeting, athletes are awarded 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 or 1 points for ranking first to to eighth respectively. The top six javelin throwers will compete in the Diamond League Finals in Brussels on September 13-14 and the winner will lift the DL champion’s trophy.
Today I felt I could do it, but somewhere I could not. Maybe God wants me to do it somewhere else. But I am happy with my consistent performances, and I will throw over 90m —Neeraj Chopra