2019 is going to be even more important than 2018, reveals Neeraj Chopra

03/07/2019

Indian Javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra has claimed that although the 2018 season was a fruitful one but the upcoming 2019 season will stand to be more important ahead of the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. Chopra added that he is confident of living up to the high expectations in the near future.

Neeraj Chopra has certainly gone from strength to strength in the last year or so but still has a long way to go in order to achieve his full potential. Chopra represented India at the 2018 Asian Games where he won a gold medal, where he set a new national record of 88.06 m and also won the gold at the 2018 Gold Coast CWG.

Chopra was the 2016 IAAF World U20 champion and set the world junior record of 86.48 m at the U20 championships. The young lad from Haryana was selected as the flag-bearer at the opening ceremony for India at the 2018 Asian Games.

"I believe 2019 is going to be even more important than 2018. In 2018 the Commonwealth Games, Asian Games were there, which were good. But this year there is world championships and more importantly this is the year just before the Olympics and if I want to get ready for the Olympics, I will have to perform well this year," Chopra told Reuters in a recent interview.

The former world junior champion was only the third man to win an athletics gold for India at the Commonwealth Games after sprinter Milkha Singh in 1958 and discus thrower Vikas Gowda in 2014. Chopra’s throw of 86.47 metres was enough to take the title on the Gold Coast and he followed that up with 87.43 metres at the Diamond League leg in Doha in May.

Chopra, currently ranked fourth in the IAAF world rankings in the javelin added that he is confident of making a podium finish in Tokyo Olympic Games next 2020.

"It feels good that people have expectations from you, that's a good feeling for me. But I have to do my work. Their expectations are a good thing but I need to continue to perform as I have put in lot of hard work...

"Obviously there is some pressure that so many people are watching me, but I focus on staying positive and injury-free, and give my best performance, that's all," Chopra added.