Neeraj Chopra got married to Himani in a private ceremony.© Instagram/@neeraj____chopra

The star-studded global javelin competition which India is hosting in May with Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra in the tournament’s organising team, has received endorsement from World Athletics president Sebastian Coe. Coe said the event will help showcase India’s ability to host gold-level athletics events. “World Athletics is delighted to support this new event that will allow fans in India to see their heroes on home soil and that will also showcase to the world India’s ability to stage gold standard events,” said Coe.

Chopra will be among the leading global stars who will compete in the World Athletics-sanctioned Continental Tour javelin-only competition.

While the venue for the marquee event is yet to be finalised, it will see some of the top male and female javelin throwers from the world compete on Indian soil for the first time.

Neeraj, who along with JSW Sports and Athletics Federation of India (AFI), has been instrumental in getting the competition to the country, said it was his longstanding dream to bringing a top-notch javelin event to India.

“It has been a longstanding dream of mine to organise and bring a world-class javelin competition to India. With the help of JSW Sports and the Athletics Federation of India, we are making this happen,” said the two-time Olympic medallist.

“I am sure that my fellow athletes and the fans in India will both create an experience that will be spoken about for a long time. I am excited to see how big we can make this,” he said in a statement.

The invitational tournament is not yet mentioned in the World Athletics Continental Tour calendar but Coe’s endorsement means it will be included in a few days.

Chopra and JSW Sports are keen to make the event an annual fixture in the World Athletics calendar “with an eye on adding more track and field disciplines to the meet”.

It would be interesting to see when exactly is the event held in May given that the Diamond League men’s javelin throw event is in Doha on May 16.

Outgoing AFI president Adille Sumariwalla had confirmed during the sports body’s AGM in Chandigarh recently that India would be hosting a top invitational javelin competition in which the top-10 throwers in the world would compete.

He had said that not only will Neeraj participate in the event, he will also play an active role in its organisation.

World Athletics president Sebastian Coe said the event will help showcase India’s ability to host gold-level athletics events.

“World Athletics is delighted to support this new event that will allow fans in India to see their heroes on home soil and that will also showcase to the world India’s ability to stage gold standard events,” said Coe.

Sumariwalla added that Neeraj was a huge role model for budding athletes and added that it would be an exciting year for athletics.

“We could not have a better role model than Neeraj Chopra to inspire the next generation of Indian athletes and we are pleased to partner with Neeraj and JSW Sports to present the best of our sport to the Indian public. 2025 will be an exciting year for Indian athletics with two Continental Tour meetings being held in our country,” he said.

JSW Sports founder Parth Jindal praised the AFI for its effort in bringing top events to the country.

“I would like to thank the Athletics Federation of India and their leadership for giving us this fantastic opportunity of bringing a world class event to India.

“The AFI has been doing some incredible work to raise the profile of track and field sports in the country, and the manner in which they have come forward to support this event is a testament to their endeavours.”

India’s Olympic 2020 gold medalist javelin star Neeraj Chopra will head to South Africa later this month for an off-season training stint to start early preparation for next year’s competitions. The 26-year-old double Olympic medallist, who last competed in Brussels in the Diamond League Final in September, will spend 31 days in the South African city. Chopra’s training stint will be funded by the Sports Ministry. “(He) will start his training early and will be in Potchefstroom for a period of 31 days,” the ministry said in a statement on Friday.

“Neeraj’s training session will be funded by Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (MYAS) and the expenditure will cover his and his Physiotherapist’s lodging, boarding and training cost for the period of his stay in South Africa.” In the past, Chopra has trained in Potchefstroom many times, including ahead of Tokyo and Paris Olympics.

He also took part in a competition there in January 2020, just before the COVID-19 pandemic struck the world. He had finished on top with a throw of 87.86m at the ACNW League Meeting 1 at McArthur Stadium.

Chopra battled an adductor muscle niggle throughout the year and it also affected his performance at both the Paris Olympics and the Diamond League Final, where he competed with a fractured left hand.

He had earlier spoken about consulting doctors at the end of the season to decide whether to go for a surgery to fix the problem.

But talking to PTI on September 27, he had played down injury concerns and also stated that he will look to improve his technique.

“It was an injury-plagued year but injury is fine now, I will be 100 per cent fit for the new season,” he had said.

Chopra, who added a silver medal at the Paris Olympics to his gold won in Tokyo Games three years back, recently parted ways with his German coach Klaus Bartonietz, ending a hugely successful five-year partnership.

Indian athletics chief coach Radhakrishnan Nair had told PTI that a new coach for Chopra is likely be appointed before the end of the year.

Chopra’s main aim next year will be to defend the World Championships gold in Tokyo besides also working hard to hit the 90m mark.

He had won gold in the 2023 World Championships in Budapest, Hungary with a throw of 88.17m. He has a personal best of 89.94m, just 6cm short of the 90m mark.

In the Paris Olympics, his silver-winning throw was 89.45m and he was bested by Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem, who broke the Games record with a 92.97m effort.

Neeraj Chopra on Wednesday bid an emotional farewell to his German coach Klaus Bartonietz who ended his five-year partnership with the star Indian javelin thrower, citing family commitments. The 75-year-old coach, who guided Chopra to a historic gold at the Tokyo Olympics, a silver at the Paris Games this year, and several other medals, had earlier expressed his inability to continue, as reported by PTI in October. “I write this without knowing where to begin. Coach, you are more than just a mentor to me. Everything you taught has helped me grow both as an athlete and person. You have gone out of your way to make sure I was mentally and physically prepared for every competition,” Chopra wrote in X in an emotional tribute.

“You stood by me through injury. You were there through the highs, and you were there even more through the lows.” Chopra also highlighted the coach’s quiet yet impactful presence, noting that while the laughter and pranks will be missed.

“You were one of the quietest in the stands, but your words to me rang the loudest in my ears when I threw.

“I will miss the pranks and the laughs we shared, but more than anything, I will miss US as a team.

“Thank you for being a part of my journey. Thank you for allowing me to be a part of yours,” he added.

I write this without knowing where to begin.

Coach, you are more than just a mentor to me. Everything you taught has helped me grow both as an athlete and person. You have gone out of your way to make sure I was mentally and physically prepared for every competition. You stood… pic.twitter.com/kJxaPqmHmm

— Neeraj Chopra (@Neeraj_chopra1) November 6, 2024

Indian athletics chief coach Radhakrishnan Nair said the German’s contract expired after the Paris Olympics and a new coach is likely be appointed before the end of the year.

“Yes, Dr Klaus will no longer be Neeraj’s coach. The AFI and Neeraj will together look for a coach for him,” Indian athletics chief coach Radhakrishnan Nair told PTI.

“Probably, we may have a coach for him before the end of this year. He (Dr Klaus) wants to be with his family. His contract with Neeraj has ended after the Paris Olympics.” The German first came on board as a biomechanics expert but he later became Chopra’s coach after Uwe Hohn fell out with the Athletics Federation of India and the Sports Authority of India.

Under Bartonietz, Chopra won Tokyo Olympics gold, Paris Games silver, became world champion and Diamond League champion, besides becoming Asian Games gold medallist.

Sharing about the secret of his consistent performance, and success that has made him the country’s star javelin thrower, Neeraj Chopra, who holds two Olympic medals, said with a positive mindset, in our minds we need to believe that “we can do it and it will work out.” “In our mind, we should believe that we can do it. We should be positive, and it will work out. So, before stepping onto the field, we should believe that we will do well,” Neeraj said at an event held at Sports University of Haryana in Rai, Sonipat.

This positive outlook and self-belief are crucial components of his preparation and performance, he said.

When asked about the consistency of his throws, always surpassing the 85-meter mark, Chopra revealed the rigorous mental and physical training that underpins his success.

“You have to continue training. Sometimes, the body will not permit it, but I think the mind is the most powerful thing. I push myself and remind myself that I have to complete my training as planned,” he explained.

Chopra narrowly missed out on another title by just 1 centimetre, finishing second in the Diamond League final with a best throw of 87.86 meters at the King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels, Belgium.

Chopra’s approach highlights the importance of mental strength and determination in achieving athletic excellence. His ability to push through physical limitations and maintain a positive mindset has been key to his consistent performance and remarkable achievements on the global stage.

In the Diamond League final, Chopra started strong with a throw of 86.82-metre, placing him second behind Peters, whose winning throw came in the opening round. Julian Weber also recorded his best on his first attempt. Chopra followed up with an 83.49-meter throw and came close to overtaking Peters on his third attempt, missing by just 1 centimetre. His subsequent throws measured 82.04m, 83.30m, and 86.46m.

This marked Chopra’s fifth appearance in the Diamond League final. He finished seventh in 2017, fourth in 2018, and won the Diamond League crown in 2022 with a throw of 88.44m. Last year, he finished second behind Jakub Vadlejch with a throw of 83.80m.

The 26-year-old accumulated 14 points across two Diamond League meets this season to qualify for the final. He finished second in both the Doha leg in May and the Lausanne event last month, placing fourth on the overall points table. Seven athletes competed in the men’s javelin throw final.

Chopra set a national record of 89.94m at the Stockholm leg of the Diamond League in 2022 and recorded his career’s second-best throw of 89.49m at the Lausanne meet last month. His silver-winning throw in Paris measured an impressive 89.45m.

Indian javelin throw star Neeraj Chopra has revealed that an advice to “stay relaxed” from his Kenyan counterpart Julius Yego proved decisively helpful in calming his racing mind before he pulled off a season’s best effort to finish second in the Diamond League in Lausanne, Switzerland. The 26-year-old was at the fourth spot at the end of the fourth round before managing a throw of 85.58m in his fifth attempt that kept him inside the top three. His final attempt of 89.49m on Thursday helped him finish second behind Grenada’s Anderson Peters (90.61m).

The performance was a marginal improvement on the 89.45m he achieved in the Paris Olympics a few days ago. Only the top three after five rounds can make the final attempt.

“(Anderson) Peters threw 90m, my body didn’t feel good but the fighting spirit was nice today. I really liked my comeback. In the last throw I didn’t think too much, just gave my best,” Chopra told the host broadcaster in the mixed zone.

“In the first throw, I thought I will do this, I will do that but in the last throw, I did not, also Julius Yego said ‘relax, you will throw far’. I tried to relax,” he added.

Yego finished sixth with an effort of 83m.

Chopra said the competition on the day was “strange” as he did not feel he was up to it when he started.

“…in the beginning I did not think I will throw very far but in the end it was good,” he said.

Asked how much more would he compete this season, the Indian said, “May be two or one competition and then finish the season. I am not sure, may be Brussels (Diamond League finale).” With seven points from Thursday’s second-place finish, Chopra is joint third alongside Weber in Diamond League standings with 15 points. Peters jumped to top spot with 21 points.

Czech Republic’s Jakub Vadlejch, who finished seventh (82.03m) on Thursday, is in second spot with 16 points.

This season’s DL finals will be held in Brussels on September 14. He needs to finish in the top-six of the series standings to qualify for the finale.

Nursing a long-standing groin injury, Chopra claimed a silver in the Paris Olympics on August 8 adding to his historic gold in the Tokyo edition of the Games three years ago.

On his goals for next year, Chopra said getting back to full fitness would be his priority.

“First goal, go to the doctor and make my groin 100 per cent fit and also I will be technically better and try to throw far again,” he signed off.

File photo of Neeraj Chopra.© AFP

Vinesh Phogat had reached final of women’s 50kg freestyle wrestling© AFP

Karachi residents came out on the roads in large numbers to celebrate javelin thrower Arshad Nadeem’s feat of winning Pakistan’s first ever individual gold medal in the Olympics in Paris. The 27-year-old Nadeem ended Pakistan’s 4-year-long wait for a gold medal in the Olympics when he picked the yellow metal in the Paris Games with a monster throw of 92.97m — which was an Olympic record — on Thursday. Pakistan’s last gold medal had come from the hockey team in 1984 Los Angeles Games.

On many parts of Karachi, there were scenes reminiscent of the past when Pakistan either won the cricket World Cups or Champions Trophy.

Celebration in the hometown of Pakistan’s Olympic Gold Medalist and Olympic Record Holder Arshad Nadeem! #ArshadNadeem pic.twitter.com/6RcmI18MFh

— Taimoor Buzdar (@TaimoorBuzdar5) August 9, 2024

Youngsters came out blowing their car horns on the streets and waving placards of Nadeem and the Pakistan flag to celebrate.

Hailing from the rural area of Khanewal in Punjab, Nadeem added an Olympic gold to his tally of gold in the 2022 Commonwealth Games 2022 and silver medal in last year’s World Championships.

Congratulations and tributes poured in as soon as it was confirmed that Nadeem had won the gold and dethroned India’s Neeraj Chopra as the Olympic champion. Chopra finished with a silver medal with a throw of 89.45m.

The enormity of Nadeem’s feat was not lost on anyone as the Mayor of Karachi, Murtaza Wahab immediately announced a cash prize of 5 crore for the athlete from the Sindh government.

“We will organise a befitting reception for Arshad in Karachi when he returns home,” Mayor Wahab said.

His mother told media persons at his village that when he returned home there would be big celebrations.

“He has not only made us proud but he has made Pakistan proud in the world and I can only say prayers,” she said.

Nadeem went to Paris after fighting elbow and knee injuries and with limited training facilities available to him. At one stage, he even had to appeal to the government to provide him with a new javelin as his old one had worn out.

“I think what Arshad has achieved today will be a big role model for all the youth now to follow him and emulate his achievements in track and field. You will see youngsters now also taking interest in other sports, not just cricket,” former Test captain Rashid Latif said.

Ayaz Mahmood, a member of Pakistan’s gold medal winning hockey team in Los Angeles Olympics, said he could not believe what he had seen.

“At a time when our hockey team has failed to even qualify for the Olympics, Arshad stepped up to keep Pakistan’s flag flying high in these games,” he said.

Jul 25 surprise and a few more would be eyeing the perfect closure to their glittering careers as the 117-strong Indian contingent aims for a better-than-before performance in the Olympic Games, starting here on Friday. India returned from Tokyo with seven medals, and it is only natural that a double-digit performance is now desired in Paris. Except for wrestlers, who have waded through a highly controversial build-up, athletes in all disciplines have have had no complaints about their preparations. Whether it was training abroad or getting the best of facilities to sharpen their skills, there was planning in place.

But will the hard work, the strategies and the unbridled support translate into medals?

The Big Picture

It will be a Heculean task to match the Tokyo figures of seven medals, given that except for reigning Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra, not many are top contenders in their respective disciplines.

More than half of the 117-member contingent is from three sports — athletics (29 ), shooting (21) and hockey (19). Of these 69 athletes, 40 are debutants.

In other sports too, there are debutants like tennis player N Sriram Balaji and wrestler Reetika Hooda. They are not exactly inexperienced, but largely, India’s campaign will be driven by the athletes, who will be competing on a stage this grand for the first time.

Then there are the seasoned ones who would be expected to raise their game suitably.

Two-time medallist shuttler PV Sindhu, tennis player Rohan Bopanna, legendary table tennis player Sharath Kamal and hockey goalkeeper PR Sreejesh are certainly playing their last Olympics.

The hockey team has endured patchy form in the build-up to the Games, the boxers and wrestlers are lacking in real competition time. The shooters too have notched up mixed results heading into the Olympics.

The track and field athletes, especially Avinash Sable, have done well of late, but compared to their global rivals, their performances don’t seem enough to put them in the bracket of medal hopefuls.

For instance, steeplechaser Sable has been consistently bettering his own national record. His best stands at 8:09.94 but there are seven international runners who have achieved better timing than that in the run-up to the Games.

Given this, Even making the finals will be considered a huge achievement.

Best Chance

India’s hopes for podium finishes largely hinge on Neeraj, despite concerns around his adductor niggle, and the in-form badminton duo of Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy.

The coveted 90m mark has eluded Neeraj from Tokyo to Paris but the ace javelin thrower seems to be doing just enough, and most importantly, consistently, to land global titles.

On big competition days, Neeraj has fared better than his other fancied rivals and if he is fit, the javelin thrower from Panipat will have a chance to become only the third athlete in India’s sports history to win back-to-back Olympic medals.

Only Sindhu (2016 Rio and 2012 Tokyo) and wrestler Sushil Kumar (2008 Beijing, 2012 London) have managed to win two consecutive medals.

Rankireddy and Chirag have grown into one of India’s most formidable men’s doubles teams and they are being seen as certain medal winners.

Talking about Sindhu, she is not in the best of form and has also got a tough draw but if she can come through the initial rounds, the vast experience could help her make the medal round.

Hockey

The men’s hockey team has been inconsistent. It lost all five games in Australia recently after a mixed run in the Pro League. It was a far cry from the Asian Games in Hangzhou where the team emerged champion.

Penalty Corner conversion and maintaining the tempo throughout a match remain a concern.

And if that’s not enough, the Indian team has been clubbed with heavyweights Australia, Belgium, Argentina, New Zealand and Ireland. There is no room for error if the team has to make the top-four from this pool.

Shooting

It’s been a quiet build-up for the 21-member shooting contingent, the biggest ever, compared to London and Tokyo where stars such as Manu Bhaker and Saurabh Chaudhary had raised medal hopes with their exceptional performances in the run-up to the Games.

Even Divyansh Panwar and Elavenil Valarivan were hailed as future superstars but all of them have flattered to deceive.

There is hardly any spotlight on shooters but still Sift Kaur Samra (50m three position) , Sandeep Singh (10m air rifle) and Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar (men’s 50 m rifle) have it in them to end the 12-year wait for a medal.

Gagan Narang, who is now India’s Chef de Mission, was the last Indian shooter to climb the podium when he won the 10m air rifle bronze in the 2012 London Games.

Wrestling

The sport has delivered a medal for India in the last four editions. The hopes of winning four to five medals were raised for the Paris Games but the protest against the Wrestling Federation of India brought the sport to a standstill.

There was no national camp, and no competition for a long time. The qualified wrestlers have trained on their own at the centres of their choice — both in India and abroad.

Fitness status of many is not known, but going into the Games, Anshu Malik, Antim Panghal and Aman Sehrawat are considered India’s best bets. Reetika Hooda, the U-23 world champion, will be a dark horse.

Others

The archers and TT players have qualified for the Games on the basis of their rankings. While it is a huge achievement for TT players, the same can’t be said about the archers.

They have promised a lot in the past too but have not been able to deliver. The recent episode of their coach being denied the Games accreditation means the campaign has started on a negative note.

Weightlifter Mirabai Chanu, the Tokyo Games silver-medallist, has struggled with injury and form of late and is perhaps not in the best frame of mind. There are question marks if she will be able to repeat her success.

Experienced boxer Nikhat Zareen and Nishant Dev will be watched keenly as their latest results have been encouraging. So far, India have won 35 medals at the Olympics with shooter Abhinav Bindra (2008) and Neeraj Chopra (2021) being the only two individual gold medal winners.

It’s time to turn aspirations into achievements. Let the Games begin.