Neeraj Chopra, fresh off winning a silver medal to complement his previous gold, found himself in a reflective state rather than a celebratory one shortly after the conclusion of the men's javelin throw final at the Paris Olympics. Neeraj Chopra's remarkable feat of securing both gold and silver medals at consecutive Olympics is unparalleled in Indian sports history, elevating him to a unique position among Indian athletes. However, the immediate aftermath of his second-place finish with a best throw of 89.45 metres presented more pressing challenges for him to address.
Neeraj Chopra has been grappling with a persistent groin injury for several years, which has repeatedly hampered his progress. This recurring issue has significantly hindered his ability to achieve greater distances in the javelin throw, as evidenced by the exceptional performance of gold medalist Arshad Nadeem of Pakistan, who shattered the Olympic record with a remarkable throw of 92.97m in the final.
"I will talk to my team and take a decision accordingly," Chopra said at the press conference after the men's javelin final.
"I am pushing myself despite the current situation of my body. The throw is good. But there’s still a lot inside me and I have to keep myself fit for it. I have never felt, sach mein, even though I have not crossed 90m... I thought I’ll do it. I had the belief. But, I have won a medal for my country. So that’s a big deal too," he added.
Neeraj Chopra's adductor injury has been a recurring issue, disrupting his training and competition schedule. This year, the problem resurfaced, forcing him to miss several meets before the Olympics. Chopra explained that the injury, which initially appeared resolved, has consistently reappeared over the past few seasons. The 2022 Commonwealth Games was another event he had to withdraw from due to this persistent issue. Chopra revealed that even when he's competing, the constant worry about his injury diverts his attention from perfecting his technique. This mental and physical strain has hindered his ability to unleash his full potential and achieve the distances he believes he is capable of.
“I already threw 89.94m (personal best in 2022) with this injury. When I throw, I always focus almost 50 percent on my injury. We have to focus mostly on technique, but it's really hard for me with this injury," he said.
“Doctors told me to go for surgery last year. Kheech raha hoon abhi tak (I’m stretching myself till now). There have been treatments since. But we will have to take a big decision,” Chopra further added.
Chopra expressed genuine happiness for Arshad Nadeem, who has also endured his own injury struggles and made a remarkable comeback this season after an extended absence from the sport. Nadeem's competitive schedule has been limited due to injuries, with only the Budapest World Championships in the previous year and the Paris Diamond League this year prior to the Olympics.
“Arshad did so well. Bahut maza aaya. If he can avoid injuries, his throws will only get better. A lot of our sport is about injuries and how one manages that," Chopra concluded.
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