Not counting the stories of Milkha Singh, PT Usha and Anju George, Indian track and field athletes are no strangers to early exits from the Olympic Arena. Even those ‘almost-there’ stories are few and far between. We were tired of asking the question why a country of over a billion couldn’t produce track and field medals.
On his qualification day for the final of the men’s javelin event, Neeraj Chopra also left the stadium early. But that was the actions and conduct of a man who had unfinished business. He made short work of qualifying with a monstrous first throw of 86.65m (qualifying mark 83.50m), topping the qualification charts and becoming the first Indian to make the final of the men’s javelin event. As he left the stadium, you could see a certain jump in his walk, a slight stiffness, but there was no trace of arrogance in him – it was self-confidence.
On the day of the final, he slipped easily into the zone again. In that trance of self-assurance, it was quite an experience to see him up close. As soon as he completed his first throw, the anticipation began to build- 87.03m! But we had seen victory slip away in Tokyo several times, so we held our breath. Also, a man named Johannes Vetter was in the field—the German had seven 90+ throws under his belt in 2021 alone, and a personal best of 97.76m (2020)!
At the end of the first set of throws from the 12 finalists, the scoreboard shone IND on top. This was all very new to us, and the nervous energy was evident. Neeraj was competing there, and we felt something of a telepathic connection with him. His second throw looked incredibly good as the spear went in a flat and furious arc. To us, for a nanosecond, it seemed destined, on the way to a new Olympic record. At 87.58m, it landed lower than we imagined, but he was still well clear of the ground, with most others doing 85m or so.
As Johannes Vetter stumbled—it was clearly not his day—our hopes began to rise. Was it going to happen again after 13 years – a repetition of the moment Abhinav Bindra gave us a chance to sing the national anthem at the Olympics? The WhatsApp group we created for the India Today group was buzzing. Colleagues wanted me to be on air, but I didn’t have it. I was not ready to move an inch until Neeraj had completed his sixth throw.
When his nearest rival – an athlete from the Czech Republic who had appeared to threaten briefly with an 86+m effort – completed his sixth attempt, it was time for celebration. It took a second to sink. Neeraj still had a throw left, but he was there, pumping his fist. He was still at the top of the leader board, and there was no one left to replace him. He was now an Olympic champion.
Chopra with his gold medal on August 7; (Photo Credits: Martin Meisner/AP)
wooWhen a Norwegian journalist asked him at a press conference organized by the IOC (International Olympic Committee) what prompted me to take up javelin – a sport without tradition in India – Neeraj looked to me to ask that Can he answer in Hindi? I translated his question for the IOC venue manager and was asked if I could serve as an interpreter for journalists who wanted to know his story. ,Main bahut mota tha ji. Isliye, ek din gaon mein khelne chala gaya aur wahan pe sab sport tha. Javelin bhi tha. Mujhe javelin dekh ke achha laga aur maine utha liya. Main yeh nahin jaanta tha ki yahi javelin mujhe yahaan tak le aayega (I was too fat, sir. Because of that, one day in the village, I went to play some games. There were spears too – I liked it, so I picked it up. I didn’t know that one day, the spear got me here will bring). ,
The typical Indian story of Neeraj was by no means extraordinary at this time – a boy of raw talent, whom we have in abundance in the country, was fortunate to find a sport he loved in life, a sport that can take it forward. Super stardom someday. Between that first love and sporting achievement that the world envy is not only raw talent or personal drive, ambition and grit, but also the institutional nurturing that is beginning to take place in India. As Neeraj narrated his story, I couldn’t help but wonder how many more like him would be in India who would have gone out of their way. Between the Federation, the Sports Ministry and now JSW Sports, Neeraj found a nurturing environment that took him every step of the way. It was the structure built around him that transformed a promising youngster into a champion.
“In 2018, I went to Germany to train with Uwe Hohn,” continued Neeraj, who was the subject of great interest to the media for all the controversies surrounding Hohn. Neeraj graciously settled the debate: “Mera technique unse match nahin kar raha tha. Sab theek nahin ho raha tha, aur isliye maine Klaus (Bartonietz) ko chuna. Wohi mere coach hain ab. Woh meri body ke mutabik mera training arrange karte hain (My technique didn’t match Hone’s training. It wasn’t going well, so I chose Klaus Bartonitz as my coach. He arranged my training to suit my body type).
TeaWhat Chopra was saying is not always about the best coach in the world or the most famous coach; It is about finding a coach who understands the athlete, and is able to design a training regimen that is appropriate for him. Applying presets often has the opposite effect. In Neeraj’s case too, apart from mastering the biomechanics of his throws and preparing his body for strength, speed and endurance, Klaus had to make sure he reached the peak at the right time.
Clearly, Neeraj was desperate for some good practice before the Games, and despite the Covid, his support team was able to send him to Sweden and ensure that he was doing his best at the Games. He didn’t overdo things like archers, nor did he make the mistake of blindly following a foreign coach, as Vinesh Phogat did at a great cost.
Vinesh, another serious medal prospect, decided to train in Hungary with her personal coach, a decision that, says Wrestling Federation of India boss Brijbhushan Singh Sharan, cost her a medal. “Her coach wanted Vinesh to train with his wife (Mariana Sustin), and Vinesh didn’t understand what she was doing. She trained with none other than the 38-year-old Hungarian wrestler, which did not bode well for Vinesh coming to Tokyo. Even in sports, Vinesh refused to be with the Indian team and trained separately. We knew something was wrong. Sharan was furious. “Our best missed a golden opportunity,” he said. ,Aap mujhe bataiye, yeh foreign coach leke itna obsession kyun hai? Hungary mein kya tradition hai jo humare yahan nahin hai? Athletes samajhte nahin hain, aur unke aas-paas ke log unhein galat samjhate hain. Vinesh ne bahut galat kiya hai. (You tell me, what is this obsession with foreign coaches? What (wrestling) tradition is there in Hungary that we don’t? Athletes don’t understand this, and they get bad advice. Vinesh made a very bad decision).
Chopra’s gold medal is more than just the glory and awards she brought. It shows other young aspiring Indians that they too can dream big and conquer the global stage
Neeraj, on the other hand, was all about scientific training. Despite a serious injury two years ago, he made a timely comeback based on a well-crafted recovery plan. He didn’t hesitate to change his coach when things weren’t going well, and as much as Uwe Hohn criticized the Indian set-up, Neeraj didn’t lose sight.
It was good to see that Neeraj dedicated his medal to Late Milkha Singh and a few other Indian track and field athletes who came close to winning an Olympic medal. While Milkha Singh, PT Usha, Gurbachan Randhawa and Anju George did not have much infrastructure to support their talents, Neeraj is fortunate to have reached the world stage at a time when India has such institutional support. is decreasing. ,
Chopra, however, was not the only beneficiary of this support. It was in some of our other medal prospects as well. For example, think of Deepika Kumari and Atanu Das in Archers; Or Saurabh Chaudhary and Manu Bhaker, among the shooters – who squandered their chances because they lost their cool when it mattered. It’s the other thing about Chopra that sets him apart- his confidence and poise in an Olympic final where he wasn’t even the best on paper.
Neeraj Chopra’s gold medal is worth much more than the personal glory and awards it has already brought to him. Reassuringly, he’s furthered his vision – a resolution that was most clearly expressed when he said he didn’t want a biopic yet; There is more to come in my story, he said, or words to that effect. The greater significance of Chopra’s gold medal in Tokyo, the first track and field medal India has won in 100+ years of participating in the Olympic Games, is that she has opened a door for young aspiring Indians, showing them That we can do it has given them not only a dream but also the belief that they can achieve it.
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