Athletics: Neeraj Chopra starts training in England ahead of 2023 season
Earlier this week, the 24-year-old had an interaction with the students of Loughborough University…reports Asian Lite News
After a successful 2022, Tokyo Olympics javelin throw gold medallist Neeraj Chopra has begun his training at Loughborough University in England, ahead of the 2023 season.
The Indian javelin throw ace took to Instagram to share a video of himself sweating it out on Sunday from the University’s high-performance centre.
“Working hard to get back in shape for the new season,” Chopra wrote along with his picture and video.
Chopra landed in England a few days ago and will be camped at Loughborough University, which is known for its state-of-the-art sports gym and training facilities, for 63 days. He is accompanied by his coach and biomechanics expert Dr. Klaus Bartonietz and physiotherapist Ishaan Marwaha.
Earlier this week, the 24-year-old had an interaction with the students of Loughborough University.
Chopra’s 2023 season is expected to include the World Athletics Championships in Budapest in August, the Asian Games in Hangzhou in September and also competitions in the Diamond League series.
He competed in six competitions in 2022 and rewrote his national record twice in the season. Chopra also became the first Indian to win a silver at the world athletics championships in July.
Though Chopra pulled out of the Commonwealth Games 2022 due to a groin injury, he marked his return by becoming the first Indian to win a Diamond League meet in Lausanne and eventually became the first Indian to win a Diamond League trophy.
Neeraj Chopra is Switzerland Tourism's Friendship Ambassador(IANSLIFE)
We tried everything from canyon swing to river rafting to paragliding and skydiving amongst other activities. And of course, it helps to know that Switzerland is the safest place for all sorts of adventure sports!” expressed Chopra…reports Asian Lite News
Switzerland Tourism appoints Olympic Gold medalist Neeraj Chopra as its Friendship Ambassador. Chopra has often travelled to Switzerland for tournaments and training but this time, after his season ended, the Indian sports icon spent his days relaxing in the country while doing what he loves best – getting the adrenaline pumping! Among the top destinations that Chopra visited were Interlaken, Zermatt and Geneva.
As Switzerland Tourism’s ‘Friendship Ambassador’, Chopra will share his experiences in the country to showcase it as the ideal destination for outdoors and the best destination for hiking, biking, soft and extreme adventure and of course snow sports, for everyone be it beginners or seasoned pros.
“Switzerland is my favourite international holiday destination! It’s so beautiful everywhere you look! It was great spending time exploring the country after the season. I also wanted to show this country to my friends and family. It was the best place to relax after a hectic season for me. You feel refreshed anywhere in the country whether you are out in the mountains or even just strolling in the city! I But what got me excited was chance to experience the adventurous side of the country with my closest friends. I was thrilled to show them Interlaken and Zermatt which are well known for their adventure activities but also that it’s possible to enjoy the outdoors in Geneva which is Switzerland’s second-largest city. We tried everything from canyon swing to river rafting to paragliding and skydiving amongst other activities. And of course, it helps to know that Switzerland is the safest place for all sorts of adventure sports!” expressed Chopra.
Misha Gambetta, Director-India of Switzerland Tourism said, “India is a very important long-haul market for us! And it’s great to have a friendship ambassador from India representing Switzerland. Neeraj is an Indian icon and a very outdoorsy person, and he will be the perfect person to showcase the sporty and outdoor side of Switzerland as well as allow us to promote lesser-known sides of the country. We look forward to working towards a successful campaign with him.”
The athlete also donated his gold-winning javelin to The Olympic Museum in Lausanne, Switzerland in September this year. The museum founded by the International Olympic Committee in 1993 showcases the richness and diversity of Olympism through history, culture, design, technology, and sociology with sports as the main element. Mary Kom’s gloves as well as Dhyan Chand’s hockey was already a part of the exhibits at the Museum.
I feel that more Indian athletes should participate in international events (in order to qualify for the Olympics); they are doing well currently and are getting to participate in a lot of domestic events…says Neeraj Chopra
Ace Indian javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra feels its high time Indian track and field athletes too start making their presence felt in numbers at major international competitions, adding that he at times feels lonely being the only athlete from the country competing in big events such as the Diamond League.
Chopra, the World Championships silver medallist, capped his superb season by winning the title at the Wanda Diamond League Final in Zurich on Thursday, becoming the first Indian to win the Diamond League Final Trophy. Chopra’s throw of 88.84 metres proved enough to seal the title.
Woman long jumper Anju Bobby George had won its precursor — the World Athletics Finals, as it was called then — in 2005. Anju initially won silver in that but her medal was upgraded to gold a few years later as the Russian winner of the event had a doping violation. So, Neeraj is the first Indian to win the Diamond League Trophy.
The champion thrower also requested the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) to provide athletes with more chances to participate in international events and help them with foreign training stint. Excerpts:
Do you feel lonely being the only Indian competing in top competitions such as the Diamond League?
It is quite unusual that despite Indian athletes doing well in the Commonwealth Games and the World Championships, I was the only Indian competing in Zurich (Wanda Diamond League Final). I see other countries have a team of athletes competing in various disciplines and I want India too to send a big contingent for such events.
What do you think should be the road map for more Indians competing in major events such as the Olympics and the Asian Games?
I feel that more Indian athletes should participate in international events (in order to qualify for the Olympics); they are doing well currently and are getting to participate in a lot of domestic events. I would urge the AFI, SAI (Sports Authority of India), and (sports) ministry to encourage more Indians to participate in international competitions. We need more Indians to compete against top athletes in world-class competitions so that we can do better in events like the Olympics, Asian Games and Commonwealth Games.
It feels good that other Indian athletes are also doing well, like at the CWG and our guys did well in the World Championships too, though they did not get into podium position. I will request the national federation to provide them with more chances to participate in international events and help them with foreign training stint. Facilities are improving in India; we will soon have indoor competition and training facilities. So, we should be able to reap the rewards at international events soon.
Where do you go from here after clinching gold in the Diamond League Final Trophy?
As per my schedule planned at the start of the year, this was my last event of the season. I would have participated in the Asian Games (in Hangzhou) around this time but that was postponed. So, my season ends with the Zurich event.
The dates for the National Games were announced recently (September 27-October 10 at six places in Gujarat). I have consulted my coach and he advised me to skip it to rest and prepare for a crucial season next year.
With the World Championships 2023 to be held from August 17 to August 27 in Budapest and the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, in September, how are you going to prepare for an extremely busy season? Also, the qualification programme for Paris 2024 will also start next year and building good momentum in the run-up to the Olympics is always a good thing…
Rest and recreation are very important for an athlete, we can’t only think about competitions and medals. The body suffers a lot of wear and tear and fatigue during a season and proper rest during the off-season is very necessary. So, after a good off-season, I hope to return to competitions next year refreshed.
Tokyo Olympics silver medallist Jakub Vadlejch of Czech Republic leads the standings with 20 points, followed by Germany’s Julian Weber (19 points) and world champion Anderson Peters (16 points) of Grenada…reports Asian Lite News
Olympic champion and World Championships silver medalist javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra has recovered from his groin injury and will participate in the Diamond League Meeting in Lausanne, Switzerland, on August 26.
This will be Chopra’s first event since the world championship silver and after missing the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham due to injury. The star athlete had suffered the injury during the final of the World Championships on July 24 in Eugene, USA.
The 24-year-old athlete is currently based in Saarbrcken, Germany, along with his coach Dr Klaus Bartonietz and physio Ishaan Marwaha.
“Feeling strong and ready for Friday. Thanks for the support, everyone. See you in Lausanne! @athletissima,” tweeted Neeraj along with his picture on Tuesday.
The Lausanne meet of the Diamond League will decide the top-six finalists for the big final to be held in Zurich on September 7 and 8. Chopra is currently at the fourth spot on the Diamond League standings after his second place finish at the Stockholm event and a good show in the upcoming event can ensure him a berth in the Finals.
Tokyo Olympics silver medallist Jakub Vadlejch of Czech Republic leads the standings with 20 points, followed by Germany’s Julian Weber (19 points) and world champion Anderson Peters (16 points) of Grenada.
After winning the silver at the World Championships, Neeraj had spoken about the Diamond League title being the one he wants to add to his cabinet which also includes gold medals at the Asian Games and the Commonwealth Games in 2018.
This will be Chopra’s second competition in a Diamond League Meeting this season after the Stockholm event in June. He broke the national record for the second time in a month with an opening throw of 89.94 metres during that event.
The Olympic Champion finished second to world champion Anderson Peters in Stockholm and was the first time he had finished in the top three in a Diamond League event.
The Indian nevertheless, ensured three additional throws to try and climb back into a medal position as he was placed fourth after Round 3. The bottom four drop out after the first three throws…reports Asian Lite News
Tokyo Olympics javelin throw champion Neeraj Chopra on Sunday (IST) ended India’s 19-year-long wait for a medal at the World Athletics Championships after he clinched the silver medal at the 2022 meet with historic throw of 88.13m.
This was India’s second medal at the World Championships and the first podium finish since Anju Bobby George won a bronze medal in long jump at Paris in 2003.
Chopra’s best effort of 88.13m in the final at the Hayward Field was short of Anderson Peters’ gold medal-winning mark of 90.54m while Tokyo 2020 silver medallist Jakub Vadlejch won the bronze with 88.09m.
The 24-year old Indian, who made the cut for the Oregon 2022 men’s javelin throw final courtesy an 88.39m mark in the qualification, made a disappointing start with a foul. On the other hand, reigning champion Peters of Grenada set the benchmark high with a 90.21m attempt in his first throw of the final.
Needing to shatter his personal best and the national record of 89.94m, set at the Stockholm Diamond League last month, for a shot at gold, Neeraj posted 82.39m and 86.37m with his second and third attempts, respectively. However, he was still short of a medal position after the third series of throws.
The Indian nevertheless, ensured three additional throws to try and climb back into a medal position as he was placed fourth after Round 3. The bottom four drop out after the first three throws.
Meanwhile, Peters extended his lead at the top with a 90.46m mark in his second attempt. Chopra finally climbed up into the top three with an 88.13m fourth attempt which saw him leapfrog the Czech Republic’s Jakub Vadlejch and Germany’s Julian Weber into the silver medal position.
The Tokyo Olympics champion fouled his fifth and sixth attempts but had done enough to win India its maiden silver medal at the World Championships.
Peters breached 90.54m with the final throw to increase his margin of victory and became the first man since the legendary Jan Zelezny to successfully defend a men’s javelin throw crown at the World Athletics Championships.
It was only the fifth time that the javelin throw final was won with a 90m-plus throw in the 18 editions of the World Championships.
Another Indian javelin thrower — Rohit Yadav — finished 10th with a best attempt of 78.72m, which came in his third attempt. His two earlier attempts measured 77.96m and 78.05m.
Olympic silver medallist Jakub Vadlejch of Czech Republic, too, joined him in the list with his first-attempt throw of 85.23m…reports Asian Lite News
Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra, India’s biggest medal prospect at the World Athletics Championships 2022 in Oregon, took just 10 seconds to qualify for the men’s javelin final with a massive throw of 88.39m on Friday.
Chopra progressed to the final as he breached the 83.50m mark (Q-mark) with ease in his first attempt.
Olympic silver medallist Jakub Vadlejch of Czech Republic, too, joined him in the list with his first-attempt throw of 85.23m.
Last month, Chopra had set a new national record of 89.94m, just 6cm shy of the 90m mark, the gold standard in the world of javelin throw, at the Diamond League in Stockholm en route to a silver medal.
“Shot Puttter Tajinderpal Singh Toor will have to perform well in Kazakhstan while Amoj Jacob has been selected subject to his recovery and fitness level,” the AFI President said…reports Asian Lite News
Tokyo Olympics gold medallist Neeraj Chopra headlined the 37-member squad named by the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) on Thursday to compete in the Commonwealth Games 2022 in Birmingham from July 28 to August 8 this year.
AFI president Adille Sumariwalla expressed confidence that the squad would deliver quality performances.
The squad includes three men Javelin Throwers in Neeraj Chopra, DP Manu and Rohit Yadav and three Triple Jumpers in Abdulla Aboobacker, Praveen Chithravel and Eldhose Paul.
“We are requesting the Indian Olympic Association to increase our quota by one and to assist in securing accreditation for a couple of athletes. We have also selected a few subject to their proving their fitness and form before the Games,” Sumariwalla said.
“Shot Puttter Tajinderpal Singh Toor will have to perform well in Kazakhstan while Amoj Jacob has been selected subject to his recovery and fitness level,” the AFI President said.
“Similarly, Discus Throwers Navjeet Kaur Dhillon and Seema Antil Punia as well as Hammer Thrower Sarita Singh will have to perform in Kazakhstan or California. Race walker Bhawna Jat will have to prove her fitness.”
Sumariwalla also said Avinash Sable, Neeraj Chopra and Seema Antil Punia, who are training overseas, sought and were granted exemption from appearing in the National Inter-State Athletics Championships in Chennai.
The team:
Men: Avinash Sable (3000m Steeplechase); Nitender Rawat (Marathon); M Sreeshankar and Muhammed Anees Yahiya (Long Jump); Abdulla Aboobacker, Praveen Chithravel and Eldhose Paul (Triple Jump); Tajinderpal Singh Toor (Shot Put); Neeraj Chopra, DP Manu and Rohit Yadav (Javelin Throw); Sandeep Kumar and Amit Khatri (Race Walking); Amoj Jacob, Noah Nirmal Tom, Arokia Rajiv, Muhammed Ajmal, Naganathan Pandi and Rajesh Ramesh (4x400m Relay).
Women: S Dhanalakshmi (100m and 4x100m relay); Jyothi Yarraji (100mHurdles); Aishwarya B (Long Jump and Triple Jump) and Ancy Sojan (Long Jump); Manpreet Kaur (Shot Put); Navjeet Kaur Dhilllon and Seema Antil Punia (Discus Throw); Annu Rani and Shilpa Rani (Javelin Throw); Manju Bala Singh and Sarita Romit Singh (Hammer Throw); Bhawna Jat and Priyanka Goswami (Race Walking); Hima Das, Dutee Chand, Srabani Nanda, MV Jilna and NS Simi (4x100m relay).
To kickstart the initiative the sports ministry has already created 400 posts for sports science specialists, out of which 250 are already working with SAI…reports Asian Lite News
Olympic gold medallist Neeraj Chopra on Monday was the keynote speaker of the National Centre for Sports Science and Research (NCSSR) session on “Olympic Gold In Athletics – A Billion Dream Fulfilled And My Journey”, where he not only spoke about his Olympic journey but also how sports as a whole has grown in India, especially when it comes to sports science and biomechanics.
Neeraj, who currently training in Finland for the upcoming Athletics World Championships and Commonwealth Games (CWG), attended the session online and said having a team with technical knowledge of sports science and biomechanics helps one grow as an athlete, and give world level performance.
“I believe to be able to give a world-class performance, things like sports science and biomechanics matter a lot along with your regular training. Further, having knowledge of sports science also helps you understand things like nutrition, diet, recovery, and biomechanics technically. It is only after understanding all of this and more that we are able to progress as an athlete and as a competitor. This is the case for me here and at NSNIS Patiala, where I slowly learn about all of this and am thus able to progress as a player. So having knowledge of Sports Science and Biomechanics helps a lot.”
NCSSR in collaboration with the Government of Haryana, Sports Authority of India (SAI), and Sports Science and Analytics Centre, IIT Madras is hosting a two-day conference on “Innovative Technological and Sports Sciences Practices for High Performance in Youth Sports” at the ongoing SBI Khelo India Youth Games (KIYG) in Panchkula.
This is for the first time that the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (MYAS) has taken such a huge initiative and set up NCSSR for the promotion of Sports Science in the country, especially using an event like the Khelo India Youth Games to launch and propagate the initiative.
With the NCSSR platform, the ministry aims to help athletes not only improve their performance but also avoid injury. To kickstart the initiative the sports ministry has already created 400 posts for sports science specialists, out of which 250 are already working with SAI. The NCSSR will act in the hub and spoke model where SAI centres across the country will act as spoke and input data about athletes to the head office of NCSSR which will act as hub for research and analysis of the data to help improve athlete performance.
Just before Neeraj’s session at NCSSR, SAI also signed an MOU with IIT – Madras where IIT-M will now provide their technology and biomechanics specialisation inputs for athletes’ development in the country.
The day one sessions was also attended by eminent players and coaches like Anju Bobby Georage, Shakti Singh , Radhakrishnan Nair and prominent professors like Prof. Mahesh Panchagnula, Dean, Alumni & Corporate Relations, IIT Madras and Dr Bibhu Nayak, Director, NCSSR, SAI.
“The gold medal has motivated me in life to do even better. Performing well and ending up on the podium will be my target in the World Championship which is going to take place in July,” Chopra told Laureus official website…reports Asian Lite News
India’s first winner of a track and field gold medal in Olympic Games, Neeraj Chopra has declared his ambitious targets for 2022, which include challenging for his first ever World Championship title, defending his Commonwealth Games and Asian Games gold medals, and most importantly, breaking the 90-metre mark for the first time.
The javelin gold medal winner from Tokyo Games, Chopra earned a nomination for the prestigious 2022 Laureus World Sports Awards in the World Breakthrough of the Year category.
“The gold medal has motivated me in life to do even better. Performing well and ending up on the podium will be my target in the World Championship which is going to take place in July,” Chopra told Laureus official website.
“Besides that, there are other big tournaments lined up this year such as Commonwealth Games, Asian Games, Diamond League Final. All of these are really major tournaments,” he added.
“While training, it always comes to mind that I have to win medals in all these major tournaments. I have won a gold medal in Commonwealth and Asian Games and I would like to repeat my performance there. I represented India in the World Championship held in London. I couldn’t get into the finals there, but I’ll try my best to finish the tournament on the podium this year,” the 24-year-old said.
Chopra has also set his sights on achieving a new personal best in 2022. At the moment it stands at 88.03 metres, and he said, “When it comes to achieving a specific distance, we have been trying to reach the 90-metre mark for a very long time now. I think I can really do it sometime soon in the near future. There’s no pressure on me to get past 90 metres, but I will work on my technique along with my strength and speed and would like to achieve it this year.
“I always think whatever I’ve done and achieved so far is not ‘the-best’. I think that I can really do better in future. It feels good that whole nation believes in me and have really high hopes for me.”
Chopra made his Olympic debut in Tokyo at the age of 23. He won the gold medal with a throw of 87.58 metres in his second attempt. In 2011 he had started attending a gym under pressure from his family to improve his fitness. While there he saw athletes practising and developed an interest in javelin and took up the sport.
In his interview with Laureus.com, Chopra said, “It feels incredible to be nominated for such an Award. Even before I won the Olympic gold medal, I’ve always seen sporting legends across the globe being part of these Awards. I always wanted to be one of them. Now, when my name is there in the list, I feel really special. If I win, I would like to place this Award on the top of my list since it’s an international Award. It’s very special and I also hope that in future a lot of Indians will be nominated and will win it for India, as legend Sachin has.”
Asked his best memory from the day in Tokyo when he won the gold medal, Chopra said, “I won’t be able to forget the moment when I was at the podium and my National Anthem was played. It’s a dream for every athlete to represent their country in the Olympics, give their best performance and to win a medal too. I got a flashback of how I started my journey, what all challenges I faced, how much hard work has been done over the years to be there at the podium and now what I’ve dreamed of, for years and years, has turned into reality.”
“I would love to do something for my sport and athletics especially in India. Also, if given a chance I would absolutely like to work with such athletes working with Laureus and will do whatever I can for sports and sportspersons across the world,” he said.
Also nominated in the Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year category with Chopra are tennis players Daniil Medvedev and Emma Raducanu, FC Barcelona football star Pedri, Venezuelan triple jump world record holder Yulimar Rojas and Australian swimmer Ariarne Titmus.
A panel of more than 1,300 of the leading sports journalists and broadcasters in the world have selected the nominees in each of seven categories for this year’s Laureus World Sports Awards…reports Asian Lite News
Neeraj Chopra, India’s first ever winner of an Olympic athletics gold medal, has been nominated for the 2022 Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year Award. He is one of the six nominees for the prestigious Award.
With his second throw measuring 87.58 metres, Chopra became the first Indian track and field athlete to win an individual Olympic gold medal during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, the other being Abhinav Bindra in air rifle in 2008.
He is only the third Indian athlete to be nominated for a Laureus Award, after wrestler Vinesh Phogat in 2019 and cricket maestro Sachin Tendulkar, who won the Laureus Sporting Moment Award 2000-2020, which marked the emotional moment during the 2011 ICC World Cup, when his team carried him on their shoulders in a lap of honour after India’s win.
“I’m delighted to be nominated for this Laureus Award and it’s a great honour for me to be recognised in the wider sporting world for what I achieved in Tokyo,” said an elated Chopra, after being nominated for the award.
“From being a kid in a small village in rural India who only took up sport to get fit, to standing on top of an Olympic podium, it’s been quite an eventful journey so far. I feel privileged to be able to represent my country and win India medals at the global stage, and now to have this recognition from Laureus and be considered alongside such exceptional athletes is a really special feeling,” he added.
Apart from Neeraj, the other five sportspersons who have been nominated for for the Breakthrough Award are — Britain’s Emma Raducanu, who became a global tennis sensation when she won the US Open at the age of 18, Russia’s Daniil Medvedev, who won the men’s title at Flushing Meadows, FC Barcelona’s football prodigy Pedri, aged 19, voted best young player at the Ballon d’Or, Yulimar Rojas, who broke the 26-year-old triple jump world record, and swimmer Ariarne Titmus, aged 20, who twice beat champion Katie Ledecky at 200 and 400m in Tokyo.
A panel of more than 1,300 of the leading sports journalists and broadcasters in the world have selected the nominees in each of seven categories for this year’s Laureus World Sports Awards. The Winners will be revealed in April, following a vote by the Laureus World Sports Academy, the world’s ultimate sports jury, made up of 71 of the greatest sporting legends of all time.
