Indian javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra, the reigning Olympic gold medalist, expressed confidence in his preparations for the upcoming Paris Olympics 2024. Speaking at the RevSportz Trailblazers Conclave 2.0 in Kolkata, Chopra emphasized that he is in peak condition and believes his best performances are yet to come.
“I am training hard and feeling good,” said Chopra. “I feel I am yet to perform to the best of my abilities. I also get a feeling that this is the best prepared I have ever been. It will get better in the days to come.”
Chopra, who is one of India’s top medal prospects for the Paris Games, acknowledged the intense competition he will face. “Competition will be tough. A young German has recently cleared 90m. And I will be defending my title. I enjoy this competition,” he said.
Olympic gold medalist shooter Abhinav Bindra, who also spoke at the conclave, stressed the importance of embracing pressure at the highest level. “There will be pressure. Nobody likes it. The point is, you have to accept it. An athlete has to learn to coexist with pressure and find out a way to work with it. That can come only with acceptance and adaptability.”
Cricket icon Sourav Ganguly emphasized the value of consistent effort and preparation. “It is like a board exam, for which you do not prepare for three days but for an entire year. It becomes part of your system. You are well prepared, then there is no panic. And this is no rocket science. You have to keep doing the same thing every day. Also, one has to switch off at times.”
Athletics Federation of India (AFI) president Adille Sumariwalla highlighted the importance of creating a supportive environment for athletes. “An athlete must feel secure that his requirements are taken care of so that he or she can concentrate on what they are doing. We give them that and expect them to do their best. It may or may not result in a medal. We have to work on creating bench strength as well,” he said.
Chopra’s confidence and the support of his fellow athletes and administrators bode well for India’s medal hopes at the Paris Olympics. The javelin thrower’s determination to push himself further and his belief in his abilities suggest that he is poised to deliver another stellar performance on the world stage.
