Neeraj Chopra: Giant 90.23m throw in Doha should shut trolls down

It’s a pity that Neeraj Chopra still has to prove himself at times. The ace that he is, the two-time Olympic medallist and reigning world champion javelin man relishes a challenge on the field — as his 90.23 m heave in Doha showed on Friday — but what must have hurt was his commitment to the tricolour being questioned.

His riposte came soon enough, its timing most uncanny. Any other global athlete of his stature would have possibly ignored the vicious trolling he faced for inviting Pakistan’s Olympic champion Arshad Nadeem to Chopra's own signature event, but arguably India's greatest athlete still felt he owed an explanation to his country. It was almost as if he wanted to be politically correct while still answering the faceless trolls, though there was no need for it.

Before one gets into a discussion of Chopra's long-cherished dream of breaking the 90-m barrier as a result of his collaboration with the legendary Jan Zelezny, one must ponder if Chopra was actually feeling the heat for his much publicised ‘friendship’ with Nadeem. ‘’First of all, I really want to clarify that I don’t have a very strong relationship with (Arshad) Nadeem,’’ the reigning world champion told the media ahead of the Doha event.

"Javelin throwers are a relatively small community, and everyone competes for their country, aiming to give their best. So, it will continue to be that way. However, given the current circumstances, things won’t be the same,’’ a somewhat defensive Chopra said. And to think all he had done was to invite Nadeem to the Neeraj Chopra Classic scheduled for 25 May in Bengaluru, an event which has since been cancelled in the wake of the India-Pakistan conflict over the Pahalgam terror attack.

Given the ‘small community’ of athletes, how is Chopra supposed to interact henceforth with Nadeem when they face each other at the World Athletics in Tokyo in September as they are bound to do? Or in the other IAAF league events, or the Asian Games next year? What happens to the archived photos of Chopra and Nadeem posing on the podium with their respective national flags? The answer is anybody’s guess.

Looking beyond Doha, this is the most perfect start that Chopra could have hoped for to a season in which he will be looking to retain his world champion’s crown in Tokyo against the elite group of Julian Weber (who took gold yesterday with a monstrous 91.06m), Anderson Peters or a fast-improving Nadeem. ‘’Many had doubts if I could cross 90m. I believe I can do much more,’’ he said on Friday night.

The process behind rebooting an already remarkable career — which saw several highs before showing signs of stagnation — has not been easy. After pushing himself through a groin injury throughout 2024 which made him pick and choose events and scrap for a silver in Paris on a rather forgettable evening (five fouls and 89.45m), the Chopra think tank took the harsh decision of parting ways with Klaus Bartonietz, a long-serving but ageing mentor.

It was a calculated decision to collaborate with Czech giant Zelezny, Chopra’s idol and a man regarded as arguably the greatest exponent of the javelin. Zelezny has, in Chopra’s words, brought about a few changes in his training and throwing methods. Now 27 and with a sterling career ushered in by the 2018 Asian Games and Commonwealth Games gold medals, the Indian is looking at the final lap of his career which could culminate in Los Angeles 2028.

And perhaps even beyond...