Exclusive! You have to be mentally strong to fight back in big competitions: Neeraj Chopra on historic silver

Neeraj Chopra is a phenomenon and there is no stopping the Tokyo Olympics champion as he continues to bring laurels to the country with his stunning performances. Neeraj scripted history at the World Athletics Championships 2022 in Eugene, Oregon, on Sunday (July 23) as he clinched the first-ever silver medal for the country at the showpiece event. Neeraj finished second on the podium in the men’s javelin final to carry on his stellar run this season.

After a sluggish start, Neeraj came up with a throw of 88.13m in his 4th attempt in the final to move to the second spot on the table and ensure a silver medal for himself at the World Championships. He became the first Indian to win a medal each at the Olympics and the World Athletics Championships. 

Neeraj’s memorable silver medal triumph also brought an end to India’s 19-year-long wait for a second medal at the World Athletics Championships as he joined the great Anju Bobby George in an elite list as the only other Indian to have won a medal at the World Athletics Championships. George had won a bronze medal in long jump at the 2003 World Athletics Championships.

Also Read: Neeraj Chopra reveals what he told Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem after his silver win at World Championships

In an exclusive interaction with WION after his silver medal win, 24-year-old Chopra said it was an important victory both for him and the country as it had been a long wait for India for a medal at the World Championships. Fresh from his historic feat, Neeraj also said he already is aiming to better his performance at the World Championships next year.

“It was important for me to finish on the podium. It had been quite a few years since we last won a medal at World Athletics Championships, it was Anju Bobby George who won a medal last. I feel happy that I won, it was important to win this year and will try to do better at the World Championships next year,” said Neeraj said in an exclusive interaction with WION.

Neeraj didn’t have an ideal start to the proceedings in the final as his first attempt was less than 80m and he overstepped for a foul. He steadily went on improving over the next three throws and reached the 88.13m-mark in his fourth attempt which saw him climb to the 2nd spot on the table.

His second attempt was recorded at 82.39m while his third attempt was slightly above the 86m-mark which put him in close distance to a bronze medal spot. After his third attempt, Neeraj was under tremendous pressure as he was nowhere close to a medal spot but he kept his composure and came up with a stunning 88.13m effort to seal a silver medal in his 4th attempt.

Also Read: Greatest Indian athlete of all time: Anju Bobby George hails Neeraj Chopra after World Athletics silver

Speaking about his poor start in the final, Neeraj said it’s all about remaining focused till the end when it comes to big competitions and revealed he always had the belief that he can produce one god throw from his six attempts which will put him in the reckoning for a medal.

“You should remain focused on the competition till the very end. In athletics, you get six chances and you never know when you can come up with your best throw so you should keep going. I always had the belief that one of my six throws will definitely come out good,” said the 24-year-old Olympic champion.

Neeraj also expressed happiness that he has now successfully managed to prove some of his critics wrong, who believed the Indian star can throw the javelin longest in his first few attempts and that his performances go down towards the end. The Olympic gold medallist believes it is all about being mentally strong to bounce back from a difficult situation in big competitions.

“My performance also answered the questions that are often raised back in India that my best throws come out in the first couple of attempts. Now, I have shown that I can handle a situation like today’s where the competition was tough and I was not in the medal race after my first three attempts. You need to be mentally strong to make a comeback in a situation like this in a big competition,” Neeraj explained.

Also Read: You make us proud: PM Modi, Abhinav Bindra & others laud Neeraj Chopra after he wins historic silver for India

Despite creating history with his silver medal win, Neeraj was far from satisfied after his final two attempts and was seen agonisingly throwing his hand on the track after an average throw in his last attempt. Chopra revealed there was stiffness in his groin which didn’t help his cause as he felt he couldn’t give his 100 per cent in the final two attempts to push for the elusive gold medal in the final.

“We always want to give our 100 percent on the field but it doesn’t happen every time. After my 4th throw, I felt a little tightness in my groin and that 100 percent effort that was required to push for gold somehow couldn’t come through. So it was a bit of disappointment but there was no such pressure that I have to win gold here being an Olympic champion,” said Neeraj, who lost the gold to reigning world champion Anderson Peters of Grenada.