Neeraj Chopra Points Out Problem Area In His Game, Coach Says: "Don't Go..."

NDTV

11-07-2025

India's star javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra on Friday said he has identified a problem area in his game and is looking to address it at the earliest, as he seeks to win a second world championship gold medal later this year. Chopra, who is the strongest Indian medal hope in the September 13-21 showpiece in Tokyo, will be training in Prague and Nymburk in the Czech Republic for 57 days along with his legendary coach Jan Zelezny. He will be heading out with his physio Ishan Marwah tonight and be based in the European country till September 5 at a total cost of Rs 19 lakh.
"I have already identified the areas I need to work on. While throwing the spear I tend to fall too much on my left side. We need to work on that. In training I don't do that, but in competition, it happens because of the extra effort I put in," Chopra said.
"Coach is saying don't go too much on left and we are working a lot on this area because the power and strength which I need to put in javelin I tend to waste it. We are also working a lot on run-up.
"In some competitions like Paris Diamond League and Doha Diamond League it was good but in Bengaluru it wasn't because there was a bit of headwind also. In Ostrava, I had the feeling that I can throw well but the run-up and technique wasn't good," he added.
The double Olympic medallist said he also needs to work on his consistency to hit the 90-mark more often.
"I have achieved 90m this year. But I need to be more consistent to achieve it more often. I am continuously around 88-89m, and my coach said he is happy, but I need to be more consistent," Chopra said during the launch of Under Armour store at the Ambience Mall here.
Needless to say, his next big target is to finish on top of the podium at the World Athletics Championships to be held in Tokyo from September 13 to 21 this year.
"My next target is the world championships and I want to win there. Before the world championships, I will plan with my coach and see which event I can compete to best prepare for it," Chopra said.
Chopra has high regards for his new coach Jan Zelezny, who he idolises.
"My coach is very good, he has been a very good, legendary athlete. As a person also he is very helpful. He is working a lot on my technique. I do well in training but in competitions I am not being able to get the technique right. I tend to mix up old and new technique," he said.
Asked about his plans for 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, Chopra said: "There is still time to think and plan about Olympics, why to take tension about it now. But the process is on. There is no point in thinking about future, need to go step by step." The Indian ace recently hosted the inaugural Neeraj Chopra Classic, a world-level javelin throw event in Bengaluru, and he is overwhelmed the by response the tournament got.
"Feeling very good, it was tough. I was wondering will it be successful, will people come to watch. But people came, almost 15,000 plus crowd was there. People enjoyed and loved the event.
"The experience was different and I was a little worried because the competition was after my name. I was working on all small details, from food to lodging, taking good care of foreign athletes. The feeling here was that I had invited them for a treat at my home." Chopra said his coach too was very happy that he could bring a world-class javelin event to India.
"He was happy and thanked me that I brought a javelin event to India. He is very close to javelin, he has given his entire life to it and still working on it as a coach." It was also the first time that Chopra participated in front of his family, something he will cherish for a long time.
"My family came to Bengaluru and they felt really good, first time my family members saw me competing live. In fact my mother started crying when I fell on my first throw. My grandfather was also there, he took his first flight, he is 75 plus now," he said.
Chopra now wants the next generation of Indian javelin throwers to better his feats.
"I want the next generation Indian javelin throwers to go one step above me. I want them to be the best and be mentally and physically strong. They should have belief that they can do it." He also said that the government is fully supporting sports and Indian athletes.
"We are getting a lot of support from the government, especially those athletes who are preparing for the Olympics. They are getting a lot of help from TOPS. A lot of rules are changing for athletes. I also hope that we have more qualified Indian coaches," Chopra said.