Chopra sees Tokyo medal hopes fade
NEW DELHI: Neeraj Chopra avoids social media and the news it brings these days. India’s star javelin thrower and a genuine Tokyo Olympics medal hope says it is disturbing to hear what is happening in the Covidwracked country.
“When I call home, I get to hear about deaths among distant family members. It affects you, seeing what is happening in the country with such a rise in coronavirus cases,” India’s best track and field medal prospect in Japan said.
“We have to remain positive and prepare for the Olympics and at the same time the negative atmosphere doesn’t help. I am still trying my best to keep my focus on training,” Chopra, 23, said in a media interaction organised by Sports Authority of India on Wednesday.
Chopra’s major concern is not having competed in an international meet since January last year. He is anxious without the competitive juices flowing, he may not stand much hopes of competing for a medal in Japan in the June-July Games. “Some days when I train, I feel the frustration that I lost the two best years of my career, 2019 to injury and 2020 to Covid,” he said.
His last international meet, in January 2020, saw his return from a long injury layoff to qualify for the Olympics, in a meet in South Africa. Plans for a training-cum-competition stint in Turkey was shelved as India’s squad was asked to go into a 14-day quarantine following the spurt in Covid cases in the country.
Chopra has participated domestically—the Indian Grand Prix (IGP) and Federation Cup in March. He threw 88.07m in grand prix 3 in Patiala. It is the world’s second best throw in a Covid-hit 2021, but it is way behind Johannes Vetter’s 91.50m achieved in April. German Vetter threw 97.76m last year, the second-best all-time javelin throw.
Unlike his rivals getting competition, Chopra has been stuck at the national camp in Patiala. And frustration is evident.
“If I have to perform at Tokyo, I need to compete with those throwers who will be part of the Olympics. If I think I can keep training here and straightaway go to the Olympics and give 100 %, it is going to be very difficult. It is my first Olympics. I don’t have any experience. It is important that I go there with confidence and the right mindset,” said Chopra.
Tokyo Olympics will have one of the toughest fields. “Compared to the last two Olympics, it will be the toughest because the current group is the best in the history of javelin. You have many throwers above 90m. Earlier, three or four throwers were good, but now you have seveneight who are throwing above 87-88m,” he said. He may need to achieve at least 90m to battle it out for a medal.
“I feel I’m very close to throwing over 90m. If I can get competitions, I’m ready to breach 90m. It depends on conditions of the day, and competition…but I feel I’m ready to cross 90m this year,” he said. “The body was responding well in IGP, and I can push myself if I get another competition.”
Thomas Rohler won gold at the 2016 Rio Olympics with a throw of 90.30. The bronze went to Keshorn Walcott of Trinidad and Tobago with 85.38m. It was less than Chopra’s 86.48m that season. He set a junior world record, but could not compete in Rio as his effort came days after the qualification window closed.
In the last three years, several throwers have crossed 90m. German trio Vetter, Andreas Hofmann and Thomas Rohler have breached it more than once while Magnus Kirt of Estonia and Chao Tsun Cheng of Taipei have also gone beyond the mark.
After an excellent 2018 when he won gold at the Asian Games and Commonwealth Games, Chopra lost 2019 to an elbow injury that needed surgery. At his first event back—the ACNW League Meeting in Potchefstroom—he threw 87.86m to qualify for Tokyo. The 88.07m came in the grand prix.
“It’s been almost two years that I have not competed internationally. I was lucky I at least qualified for Tokyo,” he said.
The Athletics Federation of India plans to send him to Sweden later this month for training and competition. Chopra also targets the Diamond League series in Europe in June-July.
Chopra said initially there were plans for him to train at Finland’s Olympic Training Centre in Kuortane—where he was based before the Jakarta Asian Games. “Earlier they had given a positive response to our plan, but since the second wave in India, it has got tricky. They refused to let me train there,” he said. “We are looking at various options… Once you are based there you can participate in competitions in Europe. If it is 21 days quarantine, then there is no point because training suffers a lot.”