"Didn't Try To Put In Any Extra Effort": Neeraj Chopra On 85.69m Throw At Diamond League
The former Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra Chopra produced a best of 85.69m which placed him fourth in the end in his season-opening event in the Doha Diamond League on Friday.
Far from being disappointed with his fourth place finish in the Doha Diamond League, Indian javelin throw superstar Neeraj Chopra sad that he merely wanted to reach the competition stage and he did not put any extra effort in the prestigious event in the Qatar capital. The 28-year-old Chopra produced a best of 85.69m which placed him fourth in the end in his season-opening event in the Doha Diamond League on Friday.
He, however, breached the 82.61m qualifying distance set by the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) for the upcoming Commonwealth Games "It's better than before. I can't say that my body is back to same as before. But I am slowly coming back," said Chopra, who suffered a back injury before the World Championships in September 2025.
"There was no pressure. I just wanted to play. I wanted to do what I was doing in training. I didn't try to put in any extra effort. You must have seen that I just wanted to get a good throw. And I got 85.69. I was satisfied with that. Because I wasn't doing that much (throw) in training." Chopra has been hampered by a back injury which he sustained before the World Championships in Tokyo in September 2025. He competed in Doha for the first time after finishing eighth in the World Championships. He has been training in Switzerland since May 25 after a rehabilitation stint in Turkiye.
He said that he suffered multiple injuries, not one, in the past some months.
"This time I didn't have just one injury. I had two or three injuries. I had an Achilles injury in my blocking leg. I had an injury in my back. I had an injury in my shoulder and elbow," he said after winning the Best Male Athlete of Year Award in the inaugural Indian athletics award function.
"And I have been having some or the other injury in my groin for a long time. So, I thought calmly that I have to do rehabilitation first. I have to start throwing slowly. It's not like I am in a hurry. Normally, I start throwing in January or February. But I started it in May." Asked how important was it to be in a happy state of mind when he was coming back to action, the two-time Olympic medallist said, "I knew what situation I was in.
"If I was (fit and normal as earlier) and was in 4th or 3rd position, I wouldn't have accepted it. I wouldn't have accepted it even if it was 85m. But now I knew what situation I was in.
"And I had to move forward step by step. I was happy with whatever throw I got. And I knew that my preparation was good." Asked if he will compete again before the Glasgow Commonwealth Games in July-August, he said, "I will be competing in the CWG. Right now, I have some work going on. I was in the middle of my training. So, I have decided to go to Commonwealth Games just 5-6 days ago.
"Before Commonwealth Games, I don't know (whether to compete or not). Let's see. After CWG, there will be some Diamond Leagues and Asian Games." On teaming up with his childhood coach Jaiveer Chaudhary after splitting with Czech Jan Zelezny, he said, "I have been in touch with him (Jaiveer) for a long time. But after playing under Zelezny, I don't know what to expect." "I have to work on my ideas and thoughts now." On the South Asian rivalry also involving Sri Lankan Rumesh Pathirage and Pakistani Arshad Nadeem, Chopra said, "Rumesh is very talented. I met him last year. I thought he would throw well. I met him again. I felt very good.
"There is a lot of competition in South Asia. Commonwealth Games and Asian Games are going to be equally tough, like the World Championships and Olympics. It's good for the Javelin community. Our Javelin is getting attention in this area. It's a good thing.
"New talents will come forward. Rumesh is also a new talent. He is very young." The rising Sri Lankan star and world leader Pathirage won the title in Doha in a star-studded field with a throw of 88.68m, while two-time world champion Andersen Peters of Grenada was second with 86.38. American Curtis Thompson, who won a bronze in the Tokyo World Championships, was third with 85.99m.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)