The 19-year-old, who broke into the limelight after recording a monstrous throw of 86.48 metres at the 2016 IAAF World U20 Championships in the Polish city of Bydgoszcz, has set his eyes upon qualifying for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Neeraj Chopra may be the current junior world record holder in javelin throw, but that has not stopped him from aiming for bigger heights.
The 19-year-old, who broke into the limelight after recording a monstrous throw of 86.48 metres at the 2016 IAAF World U20 Championships in the Polish city of Bydgoszcz, has set his eyes upon qualifying for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
And not just making it to the mega event, he also intends to rewrite history books by winning the gold medal in an event which is not very popular in the country.
“Not only do I want to qualify for Tokyo Games, but I also hope that I can win a medal. If I stay healthy and injury-free, anything can be achieved. I can even win a gold in Tokyo,” Neeraj told DNA over phone from Bengaluru, where he is currently training at the national camp.
Asked about his targets, Neeraj said he wants to better his personal best and break the 90-metre mark. On the top of it, he also endeavours to get the better of the all-time world record of 98.48 metres that is currently held by Czech Republic’s Jan Zelezny.
“I hope I can throw 90 metres in the near future. That is my first target. Should I achieve that, I will go for even more. I can even think of breaking the world record then,” added the JSW-supported athlete.
His words may seem too big an ask, for India have never won a medal in athletics at the quadrennial event, let alone a gold. But for someone who has come up from a village in Panipat that didn’t even have a ground to practice, one may just be tempted to pin hopes on him for something remarkable.
“We didn’t even have a ground to practice there... no facilities and amenities for athletics whatsoever. But, I’m working very hard now,” divulged Neeraj, who is scheduled to participate at the Asian Meet and the World Championships in London this year.
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