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Hans India
2 days ago
- Sport
- Hans India
Neeraj Chopra wants to have Sachin Tendulkar's superpower of performing in face of adversity
Bengaluru, June 30: Two-time Olympic medallist Neeraj Chopra said that he would want to have Indian cricket great Sachin Tendulkar's superpower of performing exceptionally despite facing challenges. Neeraj, who recently won the Paris Diamond League and Ostrava Golden Spike meet, is creating history with the inaugural edition of the Neeraj Chopra Classic javelin throw competition, a World Athletics 'A' category event, first of it's kind to take place in India, scheduled to be held on July 5 at the Sree Kanteerva Stadium in Bengaluru. Speaking to Start Sports, when asked which cricketer's superpower he would like to have for throwing the javelin, the reigning world champion named Tendulkar. 'Sachin Tendulkar. He represented our country so well for so many years and made so many records for us. The way he faced challenges from many great bowlers and still performed exceptionally — I would want that superpower and try to do the same. It would help me handle challenges that come my way with a calm mindset," said Chopra to Star Sports. The 27-year-old javelin star further said he thinks Australia fast bowling great Brett Lee, who used to throw Javelin before he found his calling in cricket, and Indian spearhead Jasprit Bumrah would be able to throw the javelin well. 'I have heard that Brett Lee was a javelin thrower. I think he could throw the javelin well, especially when he was in his peak years. I would like to try javelin with Jasprit Bumrah too and hope he teaches me some bowling skills. While bowling and javelin are both throws, they are very different. I would like to learn from Bumrah," he added. Chopra added that former India captain MS Dhoni's famous 'Helicopter Shot' resembles a javelin throw in terms of power and technique. Speaking about being superstitious during the game, he said, "I try to stay calm on the day of my event. I don't think too much about it. I just focus on giving my 100 per cent. I try to stay relaxed, eat good food, and rest well." The javelin ace signed off by sharing the best advice he's received on and off the field. 'It came from my coach Jan Zelezny, who also holds the world record in javelin with a throw of 98.48 metres. Whenever I throw, I stay very energetic, but he tells me I need to run in a flow. It shouldn't feel tight — I should run like an 18-year-old kid without any tension. "I'm slowly understanding the concept of flow. I think that in any sport, flow is very important. For example, Roger Federer — he played with such grace and rhythm that it never seemed like he was putting in too much effort. I'm trying to bring that into my training," he concluded. --IANS bc/
Hindustan Times
24-06-2025
- Sport
- Hindustan Times
Neeraj seals gold at the Ostrava meet
New Delhi: Four days after winning the Paris Diamond League with a throw of 88.16m, reigning world champion Neeraj Chopra won the Ostrava Golden Spike Meet -- a World Athletics Continental Tour (Gold level) meeting -- on his maiden appearance on Tuesday. India's Neeraj Chopra in action during the men's javelin competition at Ostrava Golden Spike meet. (REUTERS) Chopra, a two-time Olympic medallist, produced a best effort of 85.29m to win the event ahead of South Africa's Douw Smit, who threw a personal best of 84.12m, and Grenada's Anderson Peters whose best effort of the night was a below-par 83.63m. The reigning world champion opened the competition with a foul but recorded 83.45m on his next attempt to jump to third spot behind Smit and Peters' first throw of 83.63m. Chopra then ramped it up with a 85.29m effort to jump into the lead, an advantage he didn't cede for the remainder of the competition. Coached by local legend Jan Zelezny, who watched the proceedings quietly from the sidelines as he was also the tournament director for the event, Chopra didn't appear to exert himself but seemed unimpressed with most of his throws. The sequence of his four legal throws read 83.45m, 85.29m, 82.17m, and 81.01m. It was not the kind of series one hs come to expect of Chopra but the two-time Olympic medallist ensured he had done enough to maintain his supreme consistency. The nine-man competition was clearly not of the same pedigree as the stacked field that showed up in Paris last week, but in Rio Olympics champion Thomas Rohler and Paris Games bronze medallist Peters, Chopra had athletes who could push him. While Peters did flicker briefly, Rohler, who has been on the sidelines for a while now, could only register a best of 79.18m to finish seventh. This was Chopra's fifth competition in a space of three months. He had opened the season by winning the Potch Invitational Meet in April before competing in Doha, Poland, Paris, and Ostrava. Defending champion and the man who has beaten Chopra twice this year, Germany's Julian Weber, did not participate here as did local hero Jakub Vadlejch who had finished second in 2024. Chopra breached the 90m barrier last month with an effort of 90.23m at Doha Diamond League where Weber's 91.06m pipped him. A week on, Chopra turned up at the Janusz Kusocinski Memorial in Poland where he logged 84.14m to once again finish second to Weber who threw 86.12m. Chopra next lined up at the Paris leg of Diamond League -- a competition where five of the eight participants had thrown 90m or more -- and secured the top spot with his very first throw of the night while Weber finished second. The Indian athletics' poster boy will be next in action at the Neeraj Chopra Classic on July 5 in Bengaluru, an event that will witness some of the best javelin talents from across the world. Speaking ahead of the competition, the 27-year-old had spelled out his biggest target of the year -- defending his World Championships crown in Tokyo this September. 'I am really happy to work with such a great athlete and coach. I've already thrown 90m this year after a little bit more improvement in technique. So let's see when it comes next time but I am ready,' he had said.
