As Olympic Champion Neeraj Chopra eyes the upcoming World Championship at Oregon, he gave his insights about his preparations for the World Championship and Commonwealth Games. Excerpts:
Q: How is your preparation going for the World Championship and Commonwealth Games? How are you feeling?
A: As everyone has seen preparation is going well. I have already played three significant games, and each of them was successful. I’m in terrific spirits because two have been my personal best.
Q: How much confidence have you gained from your stellar performance in the three competitions you mentioned for the World Championships?
A: It’s been amazing, and I feel confident since it’s not just about making the best throw; consistency has been the key. Having achieved personal best twice has greatly boosted confidence in addition to consistency. But to perform at your best, you must give it everything. It was almost 90 metres, but there were still 6 cms to go, so attempts will be made to finish it.
Q: Even before the Olympics, you did not participate in many competitions, and now you have played only three competitions before the World Championships as you mentioned. So is there any thought process behind having fewer contests?
A: There were fewer competitions until recently and I took part in the major competitions in June. Due to the delayed start of the Asian Games, which will take place at the end of September, we had planned to play in the Doha Diamond League as well. After that, we might have also played in Ostrava. We chose fewer competitions so that we could play them all because several competitions are coming up, including the World Championships, Common Wealth Games, and Asian Games. Only these two are the subject of attention now that the Asian Games have been postponed. Although we didn’t specifically intend to play in fewer competitions, we did anticipate starting a little later due to the Asian Games.
Q: You’ve been in Chula Vista for a long time. You largely engaged in outdoor training following the Olympics. What would you like to say about Chula Vista training in terms of the environment there that suits you?
A: The answer is yes, it’s a beautiful day here. The amenities and meals are both excellent. I’m very grateful that the government and federation were able to complete all of this and set up a pre-camp here before the World Championships. Since there is a significant time difference between India and here, it is preferable to begin our physical preparation here early so that we can become used to the local climate and disasters. The training was excellent, and the camp itself was excellent.
Q: How do you approach a major competition like the World Championship?
A: The mentality is to just go play freely and give your all, just like in Tokyo. I want to mention something that I learned about from the previous World Championship and am currently following. My first senior-level tournament was the London World Championships in 2017, so I didn’t have a lot of experience going into the qualification stage.
I initially believed that we would reach the qualifying objective of 83 metres, but afterwards I realised that we should give it our all and remain fully concentrated during the qualifying round. The focus is to give our best and not bother much on the distance.
Q: How do you envision your rivalry developing as the World Championships approach? What do you think of the world championship competitors?
A: As you have seen in numerous competitions where the mark remains above 89, a lot of players are competing, and Anderson Peters consistently performs admirably. Since Andreas Hoffmann has also made a comeback, there should be a fierce battle for the javelin.
Q: Neeraj are there any specific tactics that needs to be discussed with the coach for a certain rival?
A: My instructor strives to enhance my performance regardless of how far the competitor throws the javelin. They don’t adopt other people’s technology, we focus on improving our own technique.
Q:This time, there is a lot of excitement surrounding Team India. How do you feel about practising alongside other Indian athletes, and how is the atmosphere of the Indian squad in Chula Vista?
A: The complete Indian team is present, and it is wonderful to play with the team once again. There have also been sessions, so I exercised with Rohit occasionally and once with Manu. You obviously enjoy working with the jumpers and sprinters. In the same way, as there is a team from Ukraine and there were teams from many other countries, there are teams from other nations as well.
Q: Given that Rohit and you will be seen together this year, what motivation or advice do you have for him as he prepares to compete in his first world championship?
A: I’m just telling him to give the best in the qualification round itself and not to worry about the strain of distance. In 2016, I had a range of 82.23 metres, but at the World Juniors, I significantly improved, throwing up to 86.48 metres. I, therefore, advised him to give his best because you never know and the outcome may be very good.
Q: Manu will be in your company at the Commonwealth Games; how have you found him to be?
A: I met Manu in ASI Pune, a decent boy and he would have likely qualified for the World Championships but may have missed due to the ranking. But it is wonderful that it will be available in Commonwealth and has an excellent 84+ range.
Q: We spectators are unaware of who is speaking on the TV or in the live stream during javelin competitions. What then transpires between athletes during major competitions?
A: Although we generally don’t talk much, if someone throws well, everyone is happy for him. Talk is rare throughout the game, but sometimes we talk to each other when we are away from the competition.
Q: The CWG and the World Championships are just around the corner. Is this the first time in your professional life that two such significant events have coincided?
A: No, this is very likely the first time two significant tournaments have occurred within two weeks. However, I have been in such situation before, like in 2018 there was just two days gap between the Asian games in Jakarta and Diamond League match in Zurich.
Q: Describe your competition day schedule and how it differs from the other training days. And since Tokyo, has anything changed?
A: The weather is constantly changing as we move about. We used to start the warm-up a little later in Tokyo because of the heat, and we have to warm up for longer duration in Europe because of the chilly weather. Rest and rehabilitation continue to receive more attention, and a healthy diet is compulsory. We unwind before the competition because the training is already complete. More focus is placed on the diet on the day of the competition, and more carbohydrates are consumed.
Q: You gained a lot of fame following the Olympics; how are you keeping that fame and the consistency of your online presence?
A: The task at hand becomes simple if we maintain our attention on it. I won’t be able to complete the training correctly if I am thinking about anything else. Living in the present is advantageous.
Q: Do you experience pressure that you must now behave only in a particular way because everyone in the world is watching everything you do?
A: The answer is that there is a camera phobia now. We used to dance with friends earlier whenever we could. That dance video is currently quite popular. However, there is currently some hesitancy; unlike before, we are unable to dance as freely as we once did since we must now be cautious that video is not being produced.
Q: Is there a reason why your best throws tend to come in the first rounds?
A: The effort is always that if I start giving it my all on the first throw, I will continue to do the same. Sometimes it starts well, and other times we don’t even get a solid throw. I believe we should throw consistently from the beginning to the end.
Q: You have inspired lots of athletes. Do you feel any pressure knowing that people are looking to you as a leader after the Tokyo Olympics? Do you also inspire young athletes by talking to them?
A: It will be more enjoyable to walk beside others than to take the lead. I’m glad that other athletes continue to affirm that if Neeraj can triumph, then so can we. If it is due to me that others now believe in him, I count myself as really fortunate.
Q: We’ve seen on social media that your coach Klaus is very funny, so what do you talk about with him? What are they doing to prepare for the big competition, and what do they want to get out of you?
A: When I ask my coach for advice or what the objective should be, he responds calmly, “why are you taking stress, enjoy”. It merely states to throw on the proper line and to attempt a perfect toss. He greatly inspires me.
Q: Neeraj do you do any rituals or routines before a game because you’re superstitious?
A: No, it isn’t at all like that. I used to always wear the same T-shirt in competitions back when I had one that I felt at ease wearing. However, all contestants are now required to wear unique attire. Superstition is not involved.
Q: What would you like to say to all the Indian fans who are now following the athletes through the media?
A: I simply want to urge everyone who has their hands folded to support Team India as they compete in the World Championship. You must watch and support us if it happens live. I hope we succeed here and continue to support at the Commonwealth Games too. So I’m hoping that by working hard, we can succeed. You should also make an effort to get your kids involved in sports.