Throwers don’t have a finish line, many more throws in me says new World champion Neeraj Chopra | Sport-others News

After winning all the major medals in the javelin throw, India’s Neeraj Chopra, the newly-crowned World Champion promised that he won’t suffer from a lack of motivation. Minutes after the medal ceremony, Chopra addressed a late night press conference over zoom for those back home. He was self effacing and mindful of the time zone difference apologised for keeping the media waiting . When asked if he is the greatest athlete, he took the name of world record holder Jan Zelezny. “I won’t say I am the greatest of all time. I have to improve more. The greatest of all time is Jan Zelezny when it comes to the javelin,” Chopra said.
Neeraj Chopra celebrates winning gold in the men’s javelin throw. (REUTERS)
The Olympic champion added a World Championship gold to his collection with a best throw of 88.17 metres. Pakan’s Arshad Nadeem was second with 87.82 metres while Czech Republic’s Jakub Vadlejch took the bronze with 86.67. Chopra said he retained the motivation to continue winning medals for the country.
“The biggest thing is I still have many more throws in me and the saying goes that ‘throwers don’t have a finishing line’. So I can push myself, it is motivation to see how many medals one can win. Winning medals does not mean we have done everything. There are so many athletes who have won multiple medals. So I will push myself much more and work harder,” Chopra said from Budapest.
Not just India vs PakanIndia versus Pakan has been doing the rounds on social media once Chopra and Nadeem qualified for the final with the top two throws. Before a competition, Chopra says he tries not to look at his phone. But he did for a brief while this time and the first thing we saw was ‘India versus Pakan’.
“I don’t use my mobile much before competition but today I looked at it and the first thing was India versus Pakan. But if you see, European athletes are very dangerous and at any time they can produce a big throw. Not just Arshad, there is Jakub and Julian Webber. So till the last throw you have to keep thinking about other throwers. But the thing is there will be India vs Pakan comparisons back home,” Chopra said.

With both Chopra and Nadeem to feature in the Asian Games in less than a month, Chopra knows the match up will be blown out of proportion. “I feel at the Asian Games there will be more talk about India versus Pakan, but I am just going to stay relaxed and healthy.”
At the end of Sunday night’s competition, Chopra and Nadeem had a chat. Two throwers from the sub-continent doing well against Europeans showed progress, Chopra said.
“I felt good that Arshad threw well and we discussed how both our countries are growing now. Earlier there were European athletes but now we have reached their level.”
Gold medal Neeraj Chopra, of India, and silver medal Arshad Nadeem, of Pakan, right, pose after finishing the Men’s javelin throw final during the World Athletics Championships in Budapest. (AP Photo)
Chopra had fouled his first throw and then produced his best effort of the day in Round 2. However, Nadeem came back strongly after a poor start and threw 87.82 metres in the third round. Did Chopra feel he was going to be put under pressure and would need another big throw to remain safe at the top? He also had to focus on not getting injured because an adductor muscle strain had resulted in him missing competitions in June. At the same time he couldn’t afford to take it too easy.
“If the fellow competitors do well then we have to push. But after the second throw I was thinking that I have to push myself more. I felt a better throw would come. But there was pressure. Recovery time (between qualifying round and final) was just one day, it is a big factor. Sometimes there is pressure, but I believe that I can throw big in the last throw also. So that is what keeps me motivated. Adductor muscle I had in my mind and I had to focus on throwing also so that was a little tough.”Most Read
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In the end Chopra was too good. There were chants of Jai Hind during the medal ceremony. Fans were missing at the Tokyo Olympics when he won gold because of Covid restrictions. In Budapest, they had thronged the medal ceremony area making it special for Chopra.
“It was a special moment. Yeh khami thi Tokyo mein. (Crowds were missing in Tokyo) There also Adille sir (Athletics Federation of India president) was there. Today he was there too. There was a big crowd here, Indians too and there were shouts of Jai Hind. So many people came to support and watch athletics and it felt great,” Chopra said, adding he had gone hoarse because of screaming with fans.
90-metre throw will happen
One objective, however, remains. That of a 90 metre throw. Chopra felt it could come in Budapest but is not stressing about dances. “The year was going well but the groin injury created a problem. I have left it to time. I threw close to 90 metres last year. I don’t know which day a 90 metre throw will happen, but it will come one day or the other. I won’t take the pressure. In between, I had thought that I could make a 90 metre throw but the main thing more than the throw dance is the medal. Here there were 90 metre throwers also and you are competing in their midst. Consency is most important and that is what gives confidence in big competitions.”