India's celebrated Olympic gold medallist, Neeraj Chopra, is gearing up to etch his name in the annals of history at the World Athletics Championships 2023 in Budapest, Hungary. The entire sporting world eagerly looks forward to the men's javelin throw final on Sunday, August 27, where Chopra will showcase his prowess. Having already gained international acclaim, Chopra's outstanding qualifying throw of 88.77m not only guaranteed his spot in the final but also sealed his entry into the 2024 Paris Olympics.
The mood in the Indian camp is upbeat and optimistic. Anju Bobby George, India's only World Championships medallist and now the team leader in Budapest, shared her excitement and optimism with India Today.
She remarked, "Absolutely thrilled as the team lead. Our team is doing perfectly well and today we are participating in three finals. We are hoping for medals as well. For India as a country, it is a proud moment."
Highlighting the prestige of the World Athletics Championships, George opined that conquering this event could arguably make Chopra the most distinguished Indian athlete of all time. "If he is able to win this today, he will be the greatest Indian athlete ever, and he is capable of doing that. He is very consistent and well prepared, and we are hoping that he would win gold," she emphasised.
Chopra's ascension in the sport has been meteoric. His best-ever throw of 89.94m was recorded at the Stockholm Diamond League in 2022. The Tokyo Olympics saw him battling adverse conditions, yet his 87.58m throw clinched the coveted gold.
But the path to another gold is riddled with challenges. Chopra is up against formidable competitors, including Tokyo 2020 silver medallist Jakub Vadlejch, Arshad Nadeem of Pakistan, the current Commonwealth Games champion, and Germany's Julian Weber, ranked second in the world.
This World Athletics Championships is unprecedented for India. For the first time, three Indian athletes - Neeraj Chopra, DP Manu, and Kishore Jena - will compete in a world championships final simultaneously.
With the final just hours away, India stands on the brink of potentially witnessing a monumental milestone in its sporting history.
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