Just a small tweet can narrate a story. As the clock struck 12 on a Sunday night, Neeraj Chopra made a successful throw at the World Athletics Championships. As this writer posted on ‘X’ on Neeraj cracking the code with a throw of 88.17m, replies came thick and fast about how to watch the men’s javelin final.
There was live feed for the javelin final. However, as events were held simultaneously, only the crucial moments of the final featuring the Indian were shown. Millions of fans had to scroll through the official website to keep track of the standings.
A few minutes after Neeraj took the provisional pole position, there was tension in the air when Arshad Nadeem climbed up to second with a heave of 87.82m. The difference between Neeraj and him was a mere 0.35 cm. The Pakistani’s fourth throw was measured at 87.15m. Neeraj tried to better his best and used every ounce of his energy, but could not send the spear beyond 87.73m.
More than a few fingernails would have been chewed in both India and Pakistan, including those of yours truly. Ultimately, when the clock was about to strike 1 AM, it became crystal clear that Arshad would have to settle for the silver and Jakub Vadlejch bronze. The luckless Julian Weber again missed out on a medal at a major event, ending up fourth.
From an Indian perspective, the major story was about the ‘Golden Boy’. After all, Neeraj had just added that one elusive gold medal in a cabinet full of silverware. At last year’s World Championships, he had come second behind Anderson Peters. But there was a story within the story — as slew of other Indian athletes reaching the summit round in their respective fields.
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In men’s javelin itself, there were three — Neeraj, DP Manu and Kishore Jena. Jena even overtook the experienced Vadlejch with a personal best of 84.77m. The 28-year-old from Odisha’s Kota Sahi village pumped his fist after realising what he had done.
It is true that Vadlejch soon overtook Jena and catapulted himself to third place. Just that it was heartening to see someone other than Neeraj usurping a veteran with more than a decade of experience in the professional circuit. Moreover, Vadlejch is one of the very few to have crossed the 90m mark. Manu also put on a creditable show by finishing sixth. India had an unprecedented three in the top six.
Soon after the completion of the event, social media erupted in joy, with loads of fans celebrating Neeraj’s achievement. By now, you perhaps need a microscope to find that one single word to describe Neeraj’s sheer consistency. Cooler climes, dry weather or humid conditions, gusty winds or damp conditions, he always finds his way.
But the essence of India’s performance at the World Championships was how Neeraj seems to be inspiring others to follow in his giant footsteps. The 4x400m relay team of Rajesh Ramesh, Muhammed Ajmal, Amoj Jacob and Muhammed Anas also made it to the final. They finished a credible fifth. Parul Chaudhary set a national record in women’s 3000m steeplechase and qualified for next year’s Olympics in the process.
As Neeraj himself told in an interview to RevSportz, “When I started playing, boys used to talk between themselves, ‘this foreign athlete is very strong, so perhaps competing with him is very tough’. After winning all the titles in the world of athletics, I can say with full confidence that was just a mental barrier. Even with many athletes, the barrier is still there. I would say just break that barrier and you will see a different kind of magic.”
Until Neeraj burst on to the scene, Independent India had just one bronze medal at World Championships to show for. PT Usha and Milkha Singh came very close but finished fourth in their respective disciplines at the Olympics. After chugging along through what seemed like a long tunnel of darkness, there is now a ray of light. And Neeraj is at the forefront of this heart-warming story.
Also Read: Break the mind barrier and you will see the magic: Neeraj Chopra’s advice to other Indian athletes