Ahead of the start of his World Athletics Championships campaign, Indian Olympic gold medalist javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra said he is close to touching the 90-metre mark and needs just "one perfect day" with favourable weather conditions to attain that mark.
The World Athletics Championships are currently ongoing in Budapest, started on August 19 and will conclude on August 27. Neeraj will be in action during the men's javelin throw qualification on August 25 and on August 27 in the final if he qualifies for it.
Last year, he ended the country's long wait of 19 years for a medal at the championships with a silver in the men's javelin event. During an exclusive interview with JioCinema, on touching the 90-m mark, he said, "Definitely, I am close. I just need one perfect day with favourable weather conditions and I am confident I will be able to achieve the throw." On handling expectations and pressure from fans, Neeraj said that he is used to handling it. "However, when I participate in competitions that occur once every two to four years [like the World Championships and the Olympics], there is undoubtedly a sense of responsibility. But, I always give my hundred per cent and perform with complete focus. Initially, there were other factors that used to overwhelm me but gradually I have gotten used to it."
Neeraj said that competing and staying consistent while competing against top stars worldwide is challenging and he is not carrying a target on his mind about the championships.
"At the beginning of the year, I had prepared quite well, but then I got injured which led me to skip a few competitions. After that, I returned and participated in the Lausanne Diamond League, where my performance was good. Since then, everything has gotten better, and I am happy with my performance and training.
For me, the most important thing is to be mentally prepared for the challenge knowing that the World Championships are approaching, and I want to perform well there. I am not carrying a specific throwing distance or medal target in my mind, but it is important that when I compete there — I do not want to have any fear of injury or anything else on my mind. I want to give it my best, and if that happens, I will come back better than before," he said.