Indian Javelin Throw star makes stunning history by winning the Javelin Throw event in Diamond League 2022. This is a feat accomplished by the first ever Indian.
There is little to be ignored about minor athletics events such as Diamond League. Neeraj Chopra provides a key suggestion to the upcoming Indian Track and Field Athletics.
Gold medalist and national hero Neeraj Chopra firmly believe that athletics holds a promising future for India owing to players’ brilliant performance. India clinched 61 medals in the recently concluded Birmingham Commonwealth Games in badminton, boxing, and weight-lifting events. However, Chopra feels a bright future ahead for athletics meets that include track and field surfaces. In a recent interview, an Indian Javelin throw legend urged corporates to support more athletes at the grassroots level. He felt that established players are getting the funding they need, but a lot needs to be done for the emerging players. In events like the Diamond League, India can start to dominate.
Neeraj Chopra made a comeback win in the Lausanne Leg on Friday during the Diamond League 2022 event. Even though an injury-hit him, his return was still not considered an underdog performance. His achievement became the first for the country. In his post-event interview, he stated his interest in participating with his fellow Indian athletes on a grand stage like the Diamond League 2022. Not only Neeraj Chopra, Diamond League 2022 saw other Indian athletes, namely Avinash Sable and Sreeshankar. This motivated Chopra to expect more Indian names in such major athletic events.
Speaking of athletes like Avinash Sable and Sreeshankar, although they did not finish in the top three, they still managed to give a tough challenge to their opponents. Sreeshankar finished sixth in the 3000m steeplechaser event in a Monaco event. While Avinash Sable finished fifth in the long jump event in the Morocco event this June. Neeraj Chopra added a very valid point that instead of focusing on events that happen once every three or four years, we could focus on more frequently recurring events like Diamond League. This can boost the players’ morale while preparing them for grand stages.
see also – Neeraj Chopra: The Golden Boy Who Made India Proud
Diamond League happens every year, with international-level athletes participating in the events. This will give a tight competition for the players. A good performance in these stages means a commendable performance in main events such as the Olympics and Commonwealth games. Neeraj Chopra delivered his third-best feat in the Javelin throw event in the Lausanne Diamond League event, in which he gave an 89.08m throw. This was one of Neeraj Chopra’s best throws, indeed. It is best to take these tournaments with grave seriousness as winning these meets is an achievement next to that of the Olympics, Commonwealth games, and Asian Games.
The other Indians who have performed well in the Diamond League include discus thrower Vikas Gowda. He finished top three in the Diamond League and second in the New York and Doha events in 2012 and 2014, respectively. Other than that, Gowda clinched a third in the Shanghai and Eugene event in 2015. This is the kind of achievement Neeraj Chopra was mentioning. He feels that if each Indian athlete can gain some momentum in regular events, there is a greater chance that in the grandest stages, they can outperform their opponents smoothly. Chopra’s exceptional form has earned him victories inspite of sustaining minor injuries. The Birmingham Commonwealth is the best example of such a scenario where he clinched a silver amid a groin injury.
Neeraj Chopra has now earned a spot in the Zurich final event, where the winner will earn prize money of USD 30,000. The idea is simple, do well and give your best in each practice session, and your best will become normal, levelling up your game overall.
