
'This Is Just The Beginning': Neeraj Chopra's Picture With Jan Zelezny Goes Viral
Last Updated:
Neeraj Chopra has thanked Indian supporters, coach Jan Zelezny and physio Ishaan Marwaha after his 90.23m throw at Doha Diamond League.
Two-time Olympic medallist Neeraj Chopra on Sunday, May 19, posted a heartfelt message for the Indian supporters after his record-breaking throw at the Doha Diamond League last week, while thanking his coach Jan Zelezny and physio Ishaan Marwaha for their support.
Neeraj sent his spear to a whopping 90.23m in the competition in Doha on Friday, but finished second overall after Germany's Julian Weber took the top spot with a 91.06m effort in his final throw.
Zelezny, who holds the world record for the longest throw (98.48m), does not attend Diamond League tournaments, but he came with Neeraj on Friday because he felt 'today is the day to achieve 90m."
'Happy to finally achieve the 90m mark at the Doha DL. A big thank you to the Indian supporters in the stadium for their encouragement and to those watching and praying from home," Neeraj tweeted on Sunday night.
Happy to finally achieve the 90m mark at the Doha DL. A big thank you to the Indian supporters in the stadium for their encouragement, and to those watching and praying from home. Grateful to my coach, Jan Zelezny and physio Ishaan Marwaha for their constant support. This is just… pic.twitter.com/GSi3KgwbGI — Neeraj Chopra (@Neeraj_chopra1) May 18, 2025
Neeraj will enter the September 13 to 21 world championship in Tokyo as the defending gold-medallist in his event. The throw in Doha would do a world of good to his confidence.
It was Neeraj's third attempt of the night and one that made him only the third Asian and 25th overall to cross the coveted mark, that was eluding him for the last five years.
The Zelezny effect on him would be hard to ignore. He was roped in as Neeraj's coach in November 2024, but they began working together only in February.
Asked about his next goal, Neeraj offered a cheeky response. 'My next goal remains 90m," he said.
Who Is Jan Zelezny?
He is a former Czech track and field athlete who competed in the javelin throw. He is a world and Olympic champion and holds the world record with a throw of 98.48m.
Zelezny has three Olympic gold medals and a silver medal to his name.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


The Hindu
an hour ago
- The Hindu
All-round Kamboj shines as India A's second unofficial Test against England Lions ends in draw
Anshul Kamboj smashed his maiden First-Class fifty and also grabbed two wickets on the last day as India A's second unofficial Test against England Loins ended in a draw here on Monday. England Lions, set an improbable 439-run target in the final session in the four-day match slipped to 32 for three before both the captains decided to shake hands. India A will now move to Beckenham to join the senior players for a four-day intra-squad match to be played from June 13-16 at the Kent County Cricket Ground. India A's first unofficial Test against England Lions had also ended in a draw in Canterbury. India A batters consumed the first two sessions on the final day to garner experience on a flat track. Tanush Kotian struck a fluent 90 not out off 108 balls with 10 fours and a six while Kamboj made 51 not out off 86 balls, putting on an unbeaten 149 runs for the eighth wicket. India declared their second innings at 417/7 after the tea break. England were rocked early when Tushar Deshpande had Tom Haines caught at the second slip. It was a terrific catch from Nitish Reddy who flew to his left to catch the ball over his head. Kamboj then had Emilio Gay (5) caught behind by the wicketkeeper. He also broke through the defence of Jordan Cox (0) in the eighth over. Earlier, Dhruv Jurel (28), Reddy (42) and Shardul Thakur (34) spent quality time in the middle to gather enough game time in England as the Indians continue to prepare for the five-Test series starting on June 20. Jurel had hit 52 in the first innings while Reddy, who made 34 in the first essay, missed out on a half-century in the second innings. It was a productive outing for some of the Indian players as Test opener KL Rahul struck a patient 116 (168 balls, 15x4s, 1x6s) in the first innings to set up a total of 348. Karun Nair, who made a double hundred in the first game, scored 40 and 15 in the two innings of the second match while skipper Abhimanyu Easwaran bounced back to make a 92-ball 80 in the second essay. Yashasvi Jaiswal had a forgettable second unofficial Test as he was dismissed for 17 and five in the two innings. But the left-handed India opener had hit a quality 64 in the second innings of the first unofficial Test. Among the bowlers, left-arm pacer Khaleel Ahmed took 4/70 in the first innings while Tushar Deshpande chipped in with a couple. Kamboj took his tally to four wickets in the contest as he grabbed a two wickets each in the two innings. Brief scores: India A 348 & 417/7 decl in 92 overs (KL Rahul 51, Abhimanyu Easwaran 80, Nitish Kumar Reddy 42, Tanush Kotian 90 not out, Anshul Kamboj 51 not out; George Hill 3/64) drew with England Lions 327 & 32/3 in 11 overs (Anshul Kamboj 2/6).


The Hindu
an hour ago
- The Hindu
Spain tries to stay upbeat after shootout loss to Portugal in Nations League final
As Cristiano Ronaldo lifted the Nations League trophy and his Portugal teammates celebrated behind him, Spain's players watched in clear disappointment. There was no major letdown after the penalty shootout defeat in Sunday's final in Munich, though. There were no calls for a coaching change. There was no blaming of players who underperformed. The feeling was that Spain is still on the right track. Before leaving the field, coach Luis de la Fuente gathered his players and made sure they remained upbeat and ready to start focusing on next year's World Cup. 'It was time to remind them that we have to be proud of this team, of what we have been doing,' De la Fuente said. 'I reminded the players that I'm proud to have them in the team. Now we have to start focusing on the World Cup. I'm still counting on every one of them, on those who were here and those who couldn't come this time.' Spain is the European champion and as a nation has been enjoying one of its best runs in international soccer. The women's team is the World Cup and Nations League champion. La Roja also won the men's Olympic tournament in France last year, as well as the 2023 Nations League. 'You can't question what this team has been achieving,' De la Fuente said. 'It has been defining an era, a style, and it will continue to do so, not because of me, but because of the players that we have.' After beating France 5-4 in the Nations League semifinals last week, Spain lost the final 5-3 on penalties after a 2-2 draw following extra time. Striker Álvaro Morata was the only player to miss his spot kick. 'Morata is a champion and a reference for us,' De la Fuente said. 'I'm responsible for his missed kick because I'm the one who asked him to take the shot.' Martín Zubimendi (21 minutes) and Mikel Oyazarbal (45) twice gave Spain the lead but Portugal rallied with goals by Nuno Mendes in the 26th and Ronaldo in the 61st. 'We have to overcome this defeat as best we can and value the positive momentum we have had in recent years,' Zubimendi said. 'This time we let the title slip away because of details. We have to keep our feet on the ground. We have been used to winning. Since I joined the national team I've only experienced positive things.' De la Fuente took over from Luis Enrique following defeat to Morocco in the round of 16 at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. He recently had his contract renewed by the Spanish soccer federation until 2028 and the next Euros. He is leading a team with a bright future thanks to young stars such as 17-year-old Lamine Yamal, Nico Williams, Pedri, Gavi, Dean Huijsen and Pau Cubarsí. Spain's next match is in Bulgaria on Sept. 4 in the World Cup qualifiers.


The Hindu
2 hours ago
- The Hindu
India gear up for Hong Kong test in Asian Cup Qualifiers
Seeking its first win in the tournament, the Indian football team will face another acid test when it takes on Hong Kong in a crucial AFC Asian Cup 2027 round three qualifier match here on Tuesday. As per reports in the local media, all 50,000 tickets for the match have been sold out, setting a new attendance record for Hong Kong football. Manolo Marquez's men will have their task cut out as they face a Hong Kong side that has been revitalised under the guidance of manager Ashley Westwood, who knows a lot about Indian football and will certainly look to use his knowledge to the home side's advantage. Placed in Pot 1 for the qualifiers, India, ranked 127th, got off to a slow start with a draw against Bangladesh in March. Meanwhile, Pot 2 side Hong Kong, ranked 153, also managed only a point in Singapore, meaning there is still nothing to separate the four sides in Group C after the first matchday. For Hong Kong, the day will be a historic. The game is not only a crucial qualifier in their search for only a second AFC Asian Cup berth in 59 years, but also the inaugural football match at the 50,000 seater Kai Tak Stadium, part of the Kai Tak Sports Park, the largest sports complex in Hong Kong. Featuring a retractable roof and constructed at a cost of HKD 30 billion at the site of the city's former airport, the stadium even features a flexible pitch system for other sports and entertainment events. It will be India and Hong Kong's 25th meeting since their first in 1951. India lead the head-to-head with nine wins, Hong Kong have eight, while seven have been draws. However, the Blue Tigers have won only once on Hong Kong soil, a 2-1 friendly victory in 1957. The previous meeting in 2022 is still fresh in the memories of many — a 4-0 drubbing in a rain-lashed Asian Cup qualifier in Kolkata. Defender Sandesh Jhingan, however, reiterated that it's "all about now". 'It was quite a comfortable scoreline but since then, Hong Kong have changed a lot. They have a new coach and a lot of new players. So, it's not going to be as easy, and you cannot get complacent or take things lightly. 'Every game on the international stage is tough, especially on away soil. We are preparing in the best way, and we will go for the maximum points on Tuesday,' said the 31-year-old Jhingan. Since August 2024, Hong Kong have been coached by Westwood, a familiar name in Indian football. The Englishman led Bengaluru FC from 2013 to 2016 and also took charge of ATK and RoundGlass Punjab FC later. He also coached the Afghanistan side that defeated India in the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers last year. Under Westwood, Hong Kong have only lost once in 12 matches — 0-1 to Liechtenstein in a friendly. But only two wins have come against higher-ranked opponents, Solomon Islands and Philippines (both friendlies). In preparation for the match against India, Hong Kong played a non-official friendly against Manchester United FC that they lost 1-3 on May 30, and then a FIFA friendly against Nepal on June 5, which was a scoreless affair. Lallianzuala Chhangte shared his thoughts on the opponents. 'Playing against Hong Kong is a significant challenge because they have a good defensive setup, and we know their coach as well. He has a lot of experience in India,' Chhangte said. 'Hong Kong are a good counter-attacking team as well, and we have to be well aware of that. We have a plan, and it's all about executing. If we go into the game with the right mindset, attitude and hunger, we can win this game,' said the winger, who celebrated his 28th birthday on Sunday. Apart from the new coach, the Hong Kong squad also features many new naturalised and foreign-born players. Among them are forwards Juninho and Stefan Pereira, midfielder Fernando, and defender Dudu — all born in Brazil. Spain-born forward Manolo Bleda and Japan-born midfielder Sohgo Ichikawa also made their Hong Kong debuts recently. Among the experienced lot are goalkeeper Yapp Hung Fai, who has over a century of caps, defenders Sun Ming Him, Yue Tze Nam and Tsui Wang Kit, all of whom ply their trade in the Chinese Super League, and midfielder Tan Chun Lok. The majority of the squad, however, play their club football in the Hong Kong Premier League for Kitchee SC, Southern District, Lee Man FC, Eastern FC and current champions Tai Po FC.