Indian athletes are all set to represent their nation at the Olympic Games in Paris. Neeraj Chopra, who won India’s first-ever gold medal in track and field at the Tokyo Olympics, is a major doubt following the 26-year-old’s injury concerns.
With the Olympic games around the corner, there have been concerns about Chopra’s fitness and his inactivity leading to the Summer Games. However, the reigning Olympic champion believes he made the right choice in prioritizing his body.
“This is the time to fix and improve things,” Neeraj told ESPN in an exclusive conversation. “I will fix whatever we feel needs to improve. For the next two weeks, I can add load during training and then, as they say, it will be time to polish things.”
“I like training (at this point, before a major competition) If you look at the program 2-3 months ago, there was a lot of load on the body and training was also intense. We work out a lot then but there isn’t as much explosive power in the body. Now my workouts are less in volume but will be at a high level and my body will be at its peak.” he added.
What Events Did Neeraj Chopra Miss?
According to the report, Chopra is set to miss the Paris Diamond League that is scheduled to be held on 7 July. The Indian javelin thrower also pulled out from Ostrava Golden Spike 2024.
“Due to an injury that he sustained in training two weeks ago (adductor muscle) he will not be able to throw in Ostrava, but he will arrive at the event as a guest,” said the organizers of the competition in a statement.
He also pulled out from the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, UK after failing to recover from a groin injury.
Neeraj Chopra’s Plans Ahead Of Paris Games
For now, Chopra has gone back to the basics in preparation for the Olympic Games. He is to train in Saarbrucken, Germany till 8 July before shifting to Antalya, Turkiye till the Olympics get underway in Paris.
Known for his sense of lightness, he joked about how boring athletes’ lives are. “We follow the same routine for a long time and repeat the same things time and again. We workout, eat, hydrate, sleep, and do it all over again. But I enjoy it.” he said in an interview with ESPN.
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Mohd Faisal Hakak is a sports author from Kashmir. He likes to keep tabs on the sporting world with a keen interest in football, motorsports, NBA, and other marquee sports. He is a science graduate from Islamia College Srinagar.
