Guwahati: Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra appeared at his sarcastic best ahead of the season opener at the Diamond League in Doha, where he came up with a witty answer on being asked about his choice of playing the cash-rich Indian Premier League (IPL) after ending his javelin career.
“It is tough because cricket is a physical sport, but we will see. If they permit me to bowl like I throw the javelin, I can join cricket,” the Olympic gold medallist joked.
The 25-year-old, who became the first ever Indian athlete to win a Diamond League trophy in 2022 after registering a sensational throw of 88.44m in Zurich, will look to defend his crown in the Qatar capital on Friday.
Chopra, who boasts of a personal best throw of 89.94m, wished that Doha could be his happy hunting ground where he could breach the magic mark of 90m that has eluded him till now.
“Doha is famous for 90m throws and hopefully tomorrow will be a great result for all,” Chopra said at the press conference.
On Thursday, the Panipat lad discussed a variety of topics at the presser, including India’s love for the game of cricket.
“Cricket is very popular in India. Indian bowlers are also very good. They have a fast arm,” he said alluding to the ability and talent of the Indian bowlers.
Drawing a parallel with the strengths and attributes a bowler needs to excel in cricket with the techniques essential for javelin throw, Chopra said that both bowlers and javelin throwers need a fast arm which according to him is a natural talent in the country.
“In javelin too, we need a fast arm. So I think it is a natural talent in India. This is a plus point for us,” he asserted.
Chopra was confident of the proliferation of the number of quality athletes from India on the global stage moving forward.
“In the future, I think more javelin throwers and also other athletes will make it big. We have good jumpers now, good long jumpers and other athletes too,” he said with confidence.
“So I feel very good that our country is growing in athletics,” he added.
Chopra, who won the Olympic gold with a Games record throw of 87.58m in Tokyo, emerged into the scene with a gold medal at the 2016 South Asian Games, where he set a national record of 82.23 meters. He followed this up with a gold medal at the 2017 Asian Athletics Championships in Bhubaneswar, where he set a championship record of 85.23 meters.
In 2018, he won gold at the Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia, with a throw of 86.47 meters, and later that year, he won the silver medal at the Asian Games in Jakarta, Indonesia.
The Diamond League is track and field’s most prestigious series sitting in the top tier of World Athletics’ one-day competitions. The 2023 Diamond League comprises 13 meetings, starting with the Doha event leading up to the two-day Diamond League Final in Eugene, USA, on September 16-17.
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