Everyone knows Neeraj Chopra. Then again, no one really does.
How can anyone in a nation starved for genuine sporting heroes and success on the biggest stages know a man who, at 25, has won everything there is on offer? Who made track and field fashionable among Indians and has single-handedly changed the perception of Indians not being good enough in the most global of sports? Who is an outlier as much in his rootedness despite all his achievements as in his continued quest to be better than himself even with everything he has won?
Last year, after winning silver at the 2022 edition of the World Championships, he was asked what was left and he had mentioned ‘gold at the worlds, maybe’. On Sunday night – early hours of Monday in India with the time difference – a nation stayed awake to watch him tick that one remaining box and was rewarded with the familiar roar, the raised finger to signal the big prize was his and the genial smile.
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But it was also an unfamiliar night, as far as Chopra is concerned. He took an uncharacteristic, ever-so-slight but tentative look back to confirm what his mind already knew about his second throw; he admitted later, during a special media interaction that continued into the first morning light back home, that he was far more cautious of his adductor strain that had kept him out of action earlier this year; he mentioned the ‘pressure’ word for the first time in the context of the massively hyped contest with Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem – second here, 35cm behind – and, for once, could not put a number on any specific target to aim for hereon.
All of which only reaffirm his place at the very top in the pantheon of Indian sporting heroes. That there is nothing left to achieve or prove to anyone, that the world is well and truly his realm and that only the third man ever to hold the World and Olympic javelin titles simultaneously – after Czech legend Jan Zelezny and Norwegian Andreas Thorkildsen – and second to also be the continental champion after Thorkidelsen – is only human, wondering ‘what next’ like everyone else.
“I was confident till the last throw that I can get a good mark but I was also being cautious, the injury was on my mind. But I am happy with the gold and hopefully in the next competitions it will be better and will train harder for Paris (Olympics),” Chopra said.
“I generally try to get the first throw as the best but it doesn’t always happen. Last year also, I had to wait till the 4th throw. And when others manage a good throw early on, yes there is pressure. But I have the belief that I can do better till the very end. I think that’s the most important thing for all athletes, that regardless of your performance you need to believe that you can do it,” he added.
What stands out for Chopra is his remarkable consistency. In his last 12 outings, dating all the way back to March 2021, he has gone under 88m only twice and finished in the top-two in every competition he has participated in. That’s a rarified sporting zone no Indian has stepped into ever. And he still doesn’t see himself as the greatest – Zelezny remains on that pedestal for him – and knows his rivalry with Nadeem will only continue to be talked about regardless of the stage -- “I know it will blow up even more at the Asian Games but I try to take it positively, if we can handle that pressure then the Olympics and Worlds only become easier!”
He pre-empts any questions on the 90m mark with his trademark laugh, now tinged with maturity -- “it is there on my mind but now I’ve realised it is more important to win. Now I don’t think much about it because I know it will happen one day, hopefully soon.” He manages to find a reason to keep going -- “throwers don’t have a finish line” -- and besting himself.
He also remains the inspiration for every Indian on the track, and on field, younger and older, with words and actions. Even in his hour of glory, he makes it a point to mention the other two Indians in competition with him – DP Manu and Kishore Jena finished in the top-six, the latter getting a personal best in his first major international outing – cheering them on and hugging them with every good throw. He compliments the 4x400m relay team and steeplechaser Parul Chaudhary on their performances and speaks of Avinash Sable and Murali Sreeshankar as world-class. He insists they simply need to learn from their shortcomings and motivate themselves from their disappointments – it is interesting how, in all his interactions, Chopra has never mentioned the word ‘failure’ either in reference to himself or others.
Up next will be the Asian Games but Paris is already on the radar. Sunday’s win, coming exactly to a day since his 2018 Asiad win and two days before National Sports Day, is already done and dusted. Can India dream of a double Olympic gold-medalist? Who knows. After all, it is Chopra’s world and only he knows himself the best.
