Neeraj Chopra Sets Sight On Maiden World Championships Gold, 90m Mark

27.08.2023 - 04:11 sports.ndtv.com

Tokyo Olympics champion and star Indian javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra will be eyeing to secure his first World Athletics Championships gold medal when he takes to the field for the final of the men's javelin throw event at the National Athletics Centre at Budapest, Hungary on Sunday.

On Friday, India's "Golden Boy" qualified for the final featuring 12 players in style with a season-best throw of 88.77 m, as per Olympics.com.

Having won gold at the Olympics, Asian Games, Commonwealth Games, Diamond League and Under-20 Championships, Neeraj has been eluded by a World Championships gold and having it would boost his personal cabinet and country's athletics credentials immensely.

Last year, he came really close to clinching that gold, but with a throw of 88.13 m, he fell short of Grenada javelin thrower Anderson Peters' monstrous 90.54 m throw.

athletics country on Neeraj Chopra Star Jakub Vadlejch Anderson Peters Germany Hungary Czech Republic India Pakistan county Centre Grenada

A World Championships gold was the crowning glory of this season but superstar javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra has a title to defend as he takes the field against familiar rivals at the prestigious Diamond League finals on Saturday. The 25-year-old Chopra lifted the Diamond League champion's trophy in Zurich last year and he would be looking to do the same again after dominating the season which saw him win his maiden World Championships title in Budapest in August. If Chopra holds the trophy and pockets the USD 30,000 prize money at the Prefontaine Classic, he will become only the third man to defend the DL overall title, though the format changed in 2017.

I Was Competing With Myself, Not With Neeraj Chopra: Arshad Nadeem

Pakistan's World Championships silver medallist javelin thrower Arshad Nadeem does not consider Indian gold winner Neeraj Chopra as his main rival, saying he competes with himself. Nadeem on Sunday became the first athlete from Pakistan to win a medal at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary, while Olympic champion Chopra won the gold. Asked if Chopra was his main rival in the World Championships, Nadeem said, "No. I myself is the only competitor to Arshad Nadeem. I did not think I was competing to win against anybody." Chopra won gold with a throw of 88.17m while reigning Commonwealth Games gold medallist Nadeem took the silver with his season's best throw of 87.82m.

Neeraj Chopra's Preparatory Camp In Switzerland Gets Ministry Approval

Reigning Olympic and world champion Neeraj Chopra's preparatory camp in Switzerland on Friday got the nod from the Mission Olympic Cell (MOC), which also announced other approvals. Chopra will undergo a 12-day training camp in Magglingen, Switzerland ahead of the Diamond League final to be organised in Eugene, USA, later this month. A total of INR 5.89 lakh have been sanctioned for the camp to be held from September 1-12, a release said. Chopra finished second in the Diamond League event in Zurich on Thursday after recording his best throw of 85.71m.

World Athletics Championships 2023 Was A "Big Challenge": Neeraj Chopra Tells NDTV

India's star javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra added another feather to his cap last week by claiming a World Athletics Championships gold medal at Budapest, Hungary. With it, he also became the first Indian to win a gold medal at the event. Neeraj's best throw in the javelin final was 88.17m. He had a foul throw to start with but then got 88.17m, 86.32m, 84.64m, 87.73m and 83.98m. In a recent interview to NDTV, Neeraj has revealed that the World Championships was "a big challenge" for him.

I Was Competing With Myself, Not With Neeraj Chopra: Arshad Nadeem

World Athletics Championships 2023 Was A "Big Challenge": Neeraj Chopra Tells NDTV