NEERAJ CHOPRA'S PARIS OLYMPICS PREPARATIONS SET FOR STERN TEST

NEW DELHI: Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra's preparations for the Paris Games will be put to the test on Friday as he kicks off his season in Doha against a star-studded yet well-known field in the first leg of the renowned Diamond League one-day meet series.

The 26-year-old Indian javelin sensation, who is currently the world and Asian Games champion, will face competitors like Olympic and world medallist Jakub Vadlejch of the Czech Republic and former world champion Anderson Peters of Grenada.

Fellow countryman and silver medallist from the Asian Games Kishore Jena will also be competing in his first Diamond League match. Jena's personal best is 87.54 meters, and Chopra holds the national record with an all-time high of 89.94 meters.

Julian Weber, the German champion and fourth-place finisher in the Olympic and World Championships, will also participate in the 10-man event. On May 19, the league will then go to Morocco.

Here, too, Chopra is the reigning champion after defeating Vadlejch and Peters to start his title-winning 2023 campaign.

"Success depends on team work. My coach and physio make immense contribution. The coach reviews my technique and we talk on what's the best style for me. We also have a specialist for strength training. Planning has been key," Chopra was quoted as saying in a Sports Authority of India release.

At that point, the Indian had launched the spear 88.67 meters, compared to Vadlejch's 88.63 meters and Peters' 85.88 meters, respectively.

In Doha at the Qatar Sports Club in 2022, Peters threw the fifth-longest throw in history (93.07 meters).

In Doha in 2022, Vadlejch, the 2023 Diamond League winner and silver medallist at the Tokyo Olympics, set a personal best with a distance of 90.88 meters.

In the Diamond League, Chopra has won three straight legs and raised the champion's trophy in 2022.

Following this competition, Chopra will participate in the National Federation Cup Senior Athletics Championships, which will take place in Bhubaneswar from May 12 to May 15, in his first home competition in three years.

Jena will be attending the event as well. The men's javelin qualifying round is scheduled for May 14 and the final for May 15, according to the schedule.

On March 17, 2021, Chopra participated in the same Federation Cup domestic competition and earned a gold medal with a throw of 87.80 meters.

Chopra will compete in the prestigious Paavo Nurmi Games in Turku, Finland on June 18, following his participation in the home event.

He will compete against Germany's 19-year-old star Max Dehning, who is the newest member of the 90m club, at that event.

This season, he wants to breach the elusive 90-meter barrier and defend his Olympic championship. Chopra had emphasized in a previous interview with PTI the importance of avoiding injuries.

The government has paid about Rs four crore to support Chopra's training, gear, coach's salary, and out-of-pocket expenses throughout the current cycle of the Paris Olympics.

He credited his readiness to the instruction he had received abroad at several international locations like Finland, South Africa, the United Kingdom, and Turkey.

"After Tokyo, I found out how international athletes plan their schedule and choose their training centres so that there is minimum travel, quicker acclimatisation and proper diet leading up to a major event.

"These are finer details that I discuss with my coach and once a decision is made, we approach TOPS for assistance. It has worked well for us," he said.

According to Chopra, implementing a healthy diet has also contributed to his recovery.

"Yes, you have to get used to some bland food. Initially, it was tough when I was not getting Indian food but I have got used to this not-so-tasty food," said Chopra, adding that his diet is largely vegetarian.

(With PTI inputs)