For most of his life, Arshad Nadeem was chasing Neeraj Chopra. For his first victory in this delightful eight-year rivalry, for an Olympic gold medal like the Indian world champion.
With one throw of 92.97 metres at the Stade de France on Thursday, Nadeem settled everything. Once and for all.
It’s now Neeraj who will be chasing his Pakistani rival. Not for Olympic medals — he already has a gold and silver — but the elusive 90-metre mark.
Nadeem had already joined the 90-metre club en route to winning gold in the 2022 Commonwealth Games. The spear had crossed 90.18 metres then. After the humongous 92.97 metres second throw on Thursday, to rub salt into the wound of his Indian rival, Nadeem had another 91.79 in his sixth and last attempt. Neeraj’s silver came with his season-best of 89.45 metres.
Three-nil in Nadeem’s favour in 90-plus attempts.
Athletes have a fetish for marks. That drives them, and tells them to push themselves to the limit. In the last three years in every news conference Neeraj spoke at, he was asked about the 90-metre club.
“I can do it. I have never felt that way. Even though I didn’t score 90 metres, in the second throw, I felt that I would do it. I believe in myself and I will do it,” Neeraj tried hard to mask his disappointment in failing to defend his gold.
“After Arshad had that throw, I gave my all,” he added. “And it’s a big achievement that India has won a silver medal.”
Neeraj promised that the 90 would come. “I have been throwing for many years. And I feel that there is something inside. After I scored an 88m in the 2018 Asian Games, I felt that I had a lot of throw left. So until that (90) happens, I won’t be able to find peace.”
Javelin being an injury-prone game takes a toll on the athlete’s body and Neeraj, who looked fine during Tuesday’s qualifications, said he was dealing with the groin injury for too long.
“I have a lot on my mind. When I am throwing, 60-70 per cent of my focus is on the injury. I don’t want to get injured. Whenever I go for a throw, you will see that my speed is low. I am pushing myself. The doctor told me to go for surgery but I didn’t have that much time to decide on that before the World Championships, or after that, because it takes a lot of time to prepare for the Olympics,” Neeraj sounded frustrated. “I have to decide on the surgery now,” he said, hinting that the season could be over for him.
“If the rest of the body doesn’t work, it won’t help. I can go for a heavy and fast heave but when there is a broken leg, there are a lot of technical things. It is very difficult to throw with just the arm, to put all your power on it.”
Neeraj picked up a groin injury during the World Championships in Eugene, US, in 2022 and had to skip the Birmingham Commonwealth Games where Arshad won the gold. An adductor niggle also bothered him in the build-up to the Games.
In that context, maybe he could have said no to the Athletics Federation of India
who brought him to Bhubaneswar for the Federation Cup in searing heat. That was just after the Doha Diamond League meet.
“I have to make a message saying, ‘sorry, I have to withdraw...’ I don’t like it at all. Even if I throw less there, it’s okay. But I have played in many competitions just because the organisers will feel like this.”
