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India Gazette
11-07-2025
- Sport
- India Gazette
Neeraj Chopra looking to improve throw by
By Sahil Kohli Gurugram (Haryana) [India], July 11 (ANI): India's reigning world champion and Tokyo Olympics 2020 gold medalist javelin throw superstar Neeraj Chopra said that after touching the 90-metre mark finally, he is taking things step by step and the next aim is to improve his throw by one or two metres more. Neeraj was speaking to ANI at an event held by Under Armour in Gurugram. Speaking about the possibility of touching the 95-m mark, Neeraj told ANI, 'I believe in going step-by-step. I have touched 90 m now, so I would like to increase it by one or two metres. Then aim for 95 m. As Sumit (Antil) said, 95 m is indeed possible. Then, after that, I would try breaking my coach's record.' After his win at the Paris Diamond League meet recently, Neeraj had said about breaking his coach Jan Zelezny's record, ' He has thrown 98m, and so many over 90. Maybe once I hit 95m, then I can start to say something - but right now, I need to keep working,' he said. With Zelenzy in his corner, who holds the world record in men's javelin throw with 98.48 m effort in 1996, Neeraj touched the 90 m for the first time in his career as he came second at the Doha Diamond League in May. It put an end to years of media discussion and hype around Neeraj touching the coveted mark. But he came second at the event, with Germany's Julian Weber touching 91.06 m. Neeraj touched a stupendous 90.23 metres. Earlier, in an interview with ANI, Para-athletic javelin thrower and double Paralympics gold medalist Antil had backed Neeraj to go beyond the 90-m and touch 95-m. 'As an athlete, it is not far for Neeraj to cross 95 meters. His technique is very good. I have been following him since 2017, when I joined Parasports and did a javelin throw as a game. I have seen positive changes in his run-up and other things,' said Antil. Speaking on his preparations to defend the title at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo this year, Neeraj said, 'I am preparing well for it and I hope to give my level best there. It is the biggest and most important competition of the year. Will continue preparing well for it.' The World Athletics Championships will be held in Tokyo from 13-21 September 2025. If Neeraj wins the title, he could become the first Indian to defend his crown. Any other coloured medal would make it a hat-trick of medals at the marquee event, first-ever by an Indian, having won the silver medal back in 2022 before following it with a historic gold at Budapest. On his partnership with coach Zelezny, Neeraj said that they are doing some technical work together, and he is happy with his training so far. 'We are trying to follow the javelin and do not fall towards the left much. I want to implement all this in my competitions,' he added. Speaking on the importance of a player's gear, clothes and shoes, Neeraj said, 'It is important. You should get comfort and quality. It keeps you injury-free. You get support in your performance as well.' Chopra took the top honours in the inaugural edition of the Neeraj Chopra Classic, a competition named after him at Sri Kanteerava Outdoor Stadium in Bengaluru recently on Saturday. The reigning javelin throw champion stood triumphant with 86.18m in a competition named after him. Kenya's Julius Yego notched up his season best and settled for second with 84.51m. Sri Lanka's Rumesh Pathirage claimed the third position with a best throw of 84.34m. While some athletes came close to challenging Neeraj's supremacy, the Indian's finesse remained unmatched by the end of the tournament. Even though it was not another 90m outing for the 27-year-old, he stamped his authority by conquering the challenge that he encountered and ensured that he continued to stay inside the top two since June 26, 2021. He has had a fine season so far in 2025. Neeraj kickstarted with a win at the Potch Invitational in Potchefstroom, South Africa, in April and followed it up with a very special second-place finish at Doha Diamond League, where he crossed the 90-metre mark for the first time ever, with a throw of 90.23 m. He also went on to secure a second spot in the Janusz Kusocinski Memorial in Poland later that month and resumed his winning ways with back-to-back titles at Paris Diamond League and Ostrava Golden Spike this month, with best efforts of 88.16 m and 85.29 m. Most recently came his NC Classic triumph in front of his home crowd. (ANI)
India.com
05-07-2025
- Sport
- India.com
NC Classic 2025: Neeraj Chopra secures title with throw of..., Julius Yego and Rumesh Pathirage are at...
Neeraj Chopra. (PIC - X) New Delhi: Neeraj Chopra has performed brilliantly in the NC Classic tournament. He won this tournament, which was held for the first time. His best throw in the tournament was 86.18 meters. Apart from Neeraj, four more Indian players participated in this tournament. These include Sachin Yadav, Sahil Silwal, Rohit Yadav and Yashveer Singh. How was Neeraj Chopra's first throw? As soon as Neeraj came to the ground to throw the first throw, the fans cheered him loudly. It was a hair-raising experience. But his start was bad, when the first throw was a foul. After this, he put in all his strength in the second throw and threw a throw of 82.99 meters. With this he took the lead. After this, he threw the third throw of 86.18 meters and strengthened his lead. What position did Julius Yego and Rumesh Pathirage claim? After this, Neeraj Chopra's fourth throw was also a foul. Then in the fifth throw, he threw a total of 84.07 meters. His last throw was 82.22. No athlete was able to throw more than him in the NC Classic tournament. Julius Yego of Kenya finished second with 84.51 meters. Rumesh Pathirage of Sri Lanka finished third with a throw of 84.34 meters. Initially, Rumesh Pathirage had gained the lead, but he could not maintain it. What's more about Neeraj Chopra? Neeraj Chopra is the only player to win two medals in the javelin at the Olympics for India. He won the gold medal in the Tokyo Olympics 2020 and the silver medal in the Paris Olympics 2024. He has made a distinct identity for himself in the world of javelin. Before the NC Classic tournament, Neeraj honoured his coach, the Czech Republic's great javelin thrower Jan Zelezny (world record holder of 98.48 meters). The NC Classic was earlier scheduled to be held in Panchkula, Haryana, but due to lack of light arrangements, it was held in Bengaluru.
Hindustan Times
28-06-2025
- Sport
- Hindustan Times
Neeraj Chopra brutally snubs Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma! Picks this Indian cricketer as perfect fit for javelin throw
Having reclaimed top spot in the javelin throw world rankings, Neeraj Chopra will be back in action at the upcoming inaugural NC Classic, scheduled to be held in Bengaluru on July 5. Neeraj has been in good form lately, and also breached the elusive 90m mark recently. Neeraj Chopra in action at the Paris Diamond League.(HT_PRINT) Ahead of the upcoming NC Classic, Neeraj was interviewed by former cricketer Navjot Singh Sidhu during a segment on Star Sports. Known for his outspoken personality and interesting perspectives, Sidhu asked him an interesting question, which revealed that running speed is a key essential in javelin throw. The cricket legend asked him to name a Indian cricketer who could succeed as a javelin thrower. The Tokyo Olympics 2020 gold medallist's response wasn't a surprise to fans, as he went on to pick Jaspri Bumrah, snubbing the likes of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. 'I feel it will be fast bowler only. I want to see Jasprit Bumrah in his prime, with proper fitness, try out javelin throw,' he said. Chopra began his 2025 campaign with an invitational meet in Potchefstroom. He bagged gold with a 84.52m throw and showed good form. Then he was next in action at the Diamond League in Doha, and surpassed the elusive 90m mark, but had to settle for silver. Then at the Janusz Kusocinski Memorial in Chorzow, he came second with a throw of 84.14m. He finally beat Julian Weber at the Paris Diamond League, with an opening throw of 88.16m. He also got his third victory of the season, with a throw of 88.16, at the Ostrava Golden Spike. At the upcoming NC Classic, Arshad Nadeem and Weber will be huge absences, with the former publicly declining the invitation due to Indo-Pak tensions. In Bengaluru, his main opponent will be Grenada's Anderson Peters, who is the current world No. 3. Peters had taken the No. 1 position from Neeraj on September 17 last year, when he won the Diamond League Final in Brussels.
