Neeraj Chopra has revealed in a social media post that he competed in Brussels with a fractured metacarpal. Despite the injury, he went on to finish second, just a centimetre behind Anderson Peters. In his tweet, he also said that he would now aim to come back fitter and stronger, and strive to get better. I just want to add one thing to that –he should also come back happier.
I met Neeraj on multiple occasions in Paris. And each time, I felt he was being a little too hard on himself. As an elite athlete, it is expected that he would want to win. Everyone is the same. But in his quest for excellence and perfection, and because he is carrying the hopes of a billion, is he trying too hard and putting himself under undue pressure? Is he being fair on himself?
Neeraj, in many ways, has a task harder than Rohit Sharma or Virat Kohli. In cricket, we have a Jasprit Bumrah or a Mohammed Shami to discuss and speak about in case Rohit or Virat aren’t around. There are other stars who can take the limelight and the pressure that comes with it. But in Olympic sport, with increased viewership and focus, it is Neeraj alone. For Manu Bhaker, a medal of any colour is good enough, and we will hail the effort. For the hockey team, back-to-back medals are enough for us to say there is a resurgence. But for Neeraj, because of the high standards he has set, nothing but a gold or first-place finish would suffice. Has Neeraj become a prisoner of his own brilliance? Is he pushing too hard, and in doing so, letting the pressure get to him?
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Neeraj is perhaps the greatest Indian athlete of all time. And that’s the issue. It is not always good to be the best. It comes at a price, and a high one at that. To know that millions are up watching you at midnight each time you throw is a kind of silent pressure we can’t even imagine. And Neeraj now lives with it each time he competes. While he has delivered way above our expectations, in his own mind, he could have had a better season. And that’s where I get scared. Is he being too hard on himself? Pushing a bit too much? Punishing himself every day in a way that is perhaps not right?
While sustained excellence is what Neeraj is after, sport also makes room for failure. However good you are, you will fail. The best do. Neeraj will as well. And that’s where he needs to be a little soft on himself. There is life beyond sport and the podium. Beyond the pressure of a billion, and the endorsements. Beyond giving us belief that India can. He is human after all, and that’s what he needs to remind himself.
As an Indian sportswriter, Neeraj is a breath of fresh air. Our answer to the world in many ways – that we too have the best. That we can. But by India’s answer to the world, has Neeraj kind of sacrificed himself? As he enters the off-season and takes a break, that’s all we want for him. That he lives his life away from all the pressure and the glare. Away from the gold-medal demands and the podium finishes. With his family and friends, and his javelin. Throwing it only when he feels like it. Not bothered by the 90m mark.
While it isn’t possible, we need Neeraj to go back to his pre-Tokyo avatar. Swagger and confidence, yes, but not the pressure. He is an athlete, and not a robot. The greatest India has produced, yes, but not a machine. It is human to come second and win silver. Even for Neeraj. We wish him a happy and relaxed few months. And yes, we hope to see him back smiling and fit early next year, when the new season begins.
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