Neeraj Chopra, the Olympic champion gearing up for the Paris Games, faces a rigorous challenge as he kicks off his season at the opening leg of the esteemed Diamond League meet in Doha on Friday.
Neeraj Chopra, the Olympic champion gearing up for the Paris Games, faces a rigorous challenge as he kicks off his season at the opening leg of the esteemed Diamond League meet in Doha on Friday. Set against a backdrop of familiar faces, the 26-year-old Indian javelin sensation, reigning world and Asian Games champion, will confront formidable adversaries such as former world champion Anderson Peters of Grenada and Olympic and world medalist Jakub Vadlejch of the Czech Republic.
In addition to Neeraj Chopra, Asian Games silver medalist Kishore Jena, making his Diamond League debut, will join the fray. Jena boasts a personal best of 87.54m, while Chopra holds the national record and an all-time best of 89.94m.
Among the ten contenders, European champion Julian Weber of Germany, who secured fourth place in both the Olympic Games and World Championships, will add to the competition. Following this event, the league will shift to Morocco on May 19.
Chopra, the defending champion, set the stage for his illustrious 2023 season with a triumphant performance, besting Vadlejch and Peters in the process.
"Success depends on team work. My coach and physio make immense contribution. The coach reviews my technique and we talk on what's the best style for me. We also have a specialist for strength training. Planning has been key," Chopra was quoted as saying in a Sports Authority of India release.
In the previous encounter, Chopra launched the spear to an impressive distance of 88.67m, surpassing Vadlejch's 88.63m and Peters' 85.88m.
Peters made history in 2022 with the fifth-longest throw ever recorded, reaching an astonishing 93.07m at the Qatar Sports Club.
Vadlejch, the Tokyo Olympics silver medalist and 2023 Diamond League champion, achieved a personal best of 90.88m at the same venue in 2022.
Chopra's prowess in the Diamond League is evident, having clinched victory in three individual legs and securing the champion's trophy in 2022.
Following the Diamond League event, Chopra will mark his return to domestic competition after three years, participating in the National Federation Cup Senior Athletics Championships in Bhubaneswar from May 12 to 15. Jena will also join him in this event. The men's javelin qualifying round is scheduled for May 14, with the final slated for May 15.
Chopra's last domestic appearance was at the same Federation Cup on March 17, 2021, where he clinched gold with a throw of 87.80m.
Following his stint in the domestic event, Chopra will head to the prestigious Paavo Nurmi Games in Turku, Finland, on June 18. There, he will face off against the latest sensation in the javelin world, 19-year-old Max Dehning of Germany, who recently joined the esteemed 90m club.
Neeraj Chopra's ambitions for this season are twofold: to defend his Olympic title and to shatter the elusive 90m barrier. In a prior interview with PTI, he emphasized the importance of maintaining freedom from injuries.
Throughout the current Paris Olympics cycle, the government has allocated nearly Rs four crore to support Chopra's training, procure equipment, cover his coach's salary, and provide out-of-pocket allowances.
Chopra credits his readiness to the extensive training he has received abroad, spanning various international centers in Finland, South Africa, the UK, and Turkey at different intervals.
"After Tokyo, I found out how international athletes plan their schedule and choose their training centres so that there is minimum travel, quicker acclimatisation and proper diet leading up to a major event. These are finer details that I discuss with my coach and once a decision is made, we approach TOPS for assistance. It has worked well for us," he had said.
"Yes, you have to get used to some bland food. Initially, it was tough when I was not getting Indian food but I have got used to this not-so-tasty food," said Chopra, adding that his diet is largely vegetarian.