In this exclusive interaction with Sportskeeda, the Panipat-born javelin thrower shares various anecdotes from his journey, his future plans and much more.

When asked about how he started his journey, Neeraj shares:

The poster boy of Athletics added another feather to his cap when he won the gold medal at the Asian Games in Jakarta. He even finished at a commendable 4th spot in the prestigious diamond league, missing the Bronze medal by a whisker.

However, it is not all a fairytale run for the Haryana athlete. One area of concern which Neeraj will look to address immediately is his technique. Neeraj was one of the top medal contenders at the recently concluded IAAF Continental Cup but ended up finishing 6th as a foul throw – out of the sector – saw him making an early exit.

All athletes learn from their mistakes. However, in any sport, temperament matters a lot and the Neeraj Chopra certainly has a good one. He is aware that your performance on any given day is what matters and it can go both ways. Nonetheless, Neeraj is ready to take all the ups and downs in his stride, with an omnipresent smile.

Neeraj is looking to take some time off to de-stress.

It was great to see the humble side of Neeraj. While most in his place would be basking in the glory of the Gold won at Asian Games, the 20-year-old has immense focus and the only thing on his mind is further improvement in the discipline.

His dedication towards the sport is such that hours after winning the Asiad gold, Neeraj flew to Zurich in order to take part in the Diamond League finals.

This is what makes him a true champion and there is no doubt that he will bring much more glory to the nation in the coming years. An extremely positive takeaway is that Neeraj has been consistent. One never knows when he can come up with a personal best.

When asked if he feels any pressure from the expectations of him becoming the first Indian to win an Olympic medal in athletics, he replies:

Neeraj has plans to continue to go for training sessions abroad as the competition is intense and he can learn from World Class athletes.

India’s golden boy became the first Indian to clinch the gold medal at Asiad ever and also feels that the 90 m mark is well within his reach. The last medal which came in the sport was Gurtej Singh’s Bronze medal in 1982.

Besides Neeraj, there are other promising prospects coming up in Javelin and with time, better infrastructure, and equipment, India can become the next powerhouse in the sport like Germany.

On his association with global sports drink brand, Gatorade, Neeraj shares:

Neeraj was also overwhelmed with the overall growth of athletics in the country and immensely proud of the performances of his fellow brothers and sisters at the Asian Games:

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