Neeraj Chopra — an extraordinary achiever assured in his own skin and identity

Neeraj Chopra is special. Of course, there are his achievements, a list long enough and distinguished enough to put him in a league all his own. He’s inked his name on trophies and medals no Indian has ever done before, he’s won events that rarely ever saw Indian participation. He’s pushed the envelope on Indian athletics so far that he’s already being called a sporting legend. And, he’s only 25.

With his win in Lausanne on Friday, he is on top of the Diamond League list with 16 points and sitting comfortably to qualify for the 2023 Finals. It was his fourth Diamond League win in as many events — excluding the 2022 year-end finals, which he won too — since his second place finish in Stockholm last year, which ironically saw his best-ever performance of 89.94m.

Victory stories and numbers around the man with the golden arm are now as well-known to most people — even those with just a passing interest in the athletics or Olympic sports — as cricket statistics to the most ardent fans. Olympic champion, World Championship silver medalist, Asian champion, World U-20 champion, Diamond Trophy winner — these are all already etched in the record books. And yet, Neeraj is so much more than just his achievements on the field.

The most important thing is his ability to remain Neeraj Chopra, the kid from Khandra, Panipat, assured in his own skin and identity and yet at home on the global stage. He loves his sneakers and shopping at the biggest brands but on his own terms, he makes no pretense of being articulate, accepts his linguistic limitations without feeling awkward about it. All of it makes him real and relatable and yet confident enough to keep the snobs away.

It is only a manifestation of a quiet self-belief in Neeraj, evident way back even in 2016 when, as a 19-year old, he first burst on to the world stage with his record-breaking throw at the Junior World Championships in 2016.

At the Asian Games in 2018, he had as many foul throws as legal ones but there never was a sense of panic. And, post-Tokyo, every interaction with the youngster has only reinforced his position as a role model.

Clarity of purpose

Soon after becoming only the second Indian and first-ever in athletics to win an Olympic gold, Neeraj declared he was nowhere among the best and would not think so till he breached the 90m club. That, of course, is yet to happen but to consider an Olympic gold as just the first step towards even bigger achievements when many would consider it the pinnacle of success says as much about his belief in himself as about his clarity of purpose.

Since then, Neeraj has matured enough over the last two years to move beyond it while adding prestige to his trophy cabinet. He also shut down any mischief-mongers, defending Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem against conspiracy theorists of any attempted tampering of his javelin in Tokyo in no uncertain terms before the issue could blow up. In a country starved of sporting icons and stories of talented individuals going off the rails, Neeraj is an exception.

Motivating youngsters

Although he trains mainly abroad, thanks to enough funding from the government — as much for the facilities as for the freedom it provides him to focus on his training without interruptions — he remains as much at home at the National Institute of Sports, Patiala whenever he is back home, roaming with other trainees and being one with them without any airs. Every time he speaks to the media, he makes it a point to highlight other athletes and their performances.

“I feel good seeing increasing coverage of junior athletes and those who are generally overlooked. Recently, Tejaswin Shankar participated in the decathlon and there was a lot of focus on it, which is good. It is very important to cover domestic events like the Nationals and take their stories to the world, their backgrounds and their growth to motivate them and get sponsors or funding,” he insisted on Monday.

Youngsters talk of him calling them up to motivate before a major event and being available when they need while Neeraj claims the learning process is mutual.

“They call me bhaiya with respect and I also respect everyone. I only try to share my experiences with everyone and honestly, I myself feel myself talking to others. Now there is growing confidence among Indian athletes which is great.

“In Lausanne this time, I saw that mental change in (long jumper Murali) Sreeshankar. Earlier, he used to put pressure on himself to do well and worry about the results and performance. This time he was more relaxed and confident of himself and his body. Even after the competition, he was not disappointed with the result (Sreeshankar finished fifth) but had belief that he belonged at that level. This is great,” he added.

Learning

Neeraj has kept learning, from both success and failures, not allowing himself to stagnate. His ability to come back from poor throws early on to fight for the top spot in testing conditions is testament to it. Being the top dog in an elite field has its own pressures but to believe you belong there requires immense belief.

“Earlier I couldn’t compete with the top athletes, there was a lack of experience and confidence. Now, I have this belief in myself that even if some of my throws are not good enough, I know I can go at least a certain distance even in the last throw. I have a benchmark of my own and I have been able to do it so far, staying close to the competition every time and stay in the hunt for a win. It is very important to have that confidence,” he admitted.

The elbow surgery in 2019 that put him out of action for almost a year, the groin tear last year and the muscle strain recently have all taught him to listen to and respect his body.

Fitness matters

“Fitness is both physical and mental. You can work on being 100% in the body but if you are not convinced of it mentally or have the confidence to push yourself you will never be able to do well. You have to convince yourself that the injury has fully healed and you are fit enough to go all out. At the same time, the body has to be fit enough to give you that confidence. There is no either/or,” he emphasised.

Never meet your heroes, the popular saying goes, for it invariably leads to disappointments. In times of social media where stars and champions are judged 24×7 amidst a constant pressure to appear ‘correct’ there is always a feeling of when, rather than whether, someone slips. So far, Neeraj has escaped the trap, staying true to himself and his sport.

He, along with Abhinav Bindra, was among the first to comment on the recent wrestlers’ protest, supporting them not in their cause or taking sides but simply as an athlete. And while every aspiring Indian athlete would hope to emulate him on field, their favourite ‘bhaiya’ has already done enough off field to inspire them to be better human beings. That, one hopes, would be his far more enduring legacy.