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Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra is bracing for a stern challenge as he returns to the Commonwealth Games after an eight-year gap, with the Indian ace saying the men's javelin competition in Glasgow will be "tough" as it features many World, Olympic and Asian champions.
Speaking ahead of the men's javelin event, Chopra said the quality of the field meant every throw would count. "The field is quite good, and I think there is very tough competition in javelin because there are many World Championship golds, many Olympic gold medalists are also there and Commonwealth Games and Asian Games medalists as well. So it's going to be quite tough competition, and almost everyone performs in Diamond Leagues too, so everyone will get to see a good competition," he told the media on Sunday. The field includes defending Commonwealth champion and Olympic gold medallist Arshad Nadeem of Pakistan, Grenada's former world champion Anderson Peters, Trinidad and Tobago's Olympic champion Keshorn Walcott and Sri Lanka's world leader Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage. India will also be represented by Rohit Yadav and Yash Vir Singh. Reflecting on his return to the Commonwealth Games where he won his first senior international gold, Chopra said the event holds a special place in his career. "There are very good memories of the Commonwealth Games. My first senior games- it was a senior competition, the Commonwealth Games. So the beginning of a senior career starts well from there, when I won the gold. Whenever I have to represent my country, those are always big games for me. So, it's feeling good that finally I'm back on the field and feeling quite okay," said Chopra. Having competed only once this season after recovering from a lower back injury, Chopra said he is now in much better physical condition than he was a few months ago. "It's quite okay now. I was playing my first competition in Doha after the Tokyo World Athletics Championship (2025), so there was a good throw there, and after that, we worked on the shortcomings that were felt and worked on fitness, so it feels much better than before now," he said. The Indian ace, who finished fourth at the Doha Diamond League with a throw of 85.69m, said his focus remains on executing his technique rather than chasing a particular distance or rival. He said, "Just this is in mind: what we have come after training, the technique we have come after focusing on, I just do that well and otherwise there isn't any particular target like that in mind. It's just that whenever I compete, I try to give my best and give my 100% on that day." Weather could also play a role in Glasgow, with windy conditions greeting athletes during training. Chopra, however, insisted adapting mentally would be crucial. "Yes, wind conditions are a bit tough, but it comes down to the fact that it's for everyone. But it's just that no matter how bad the conditions are, we have to stay a bit mentally strong," he said. The men's javelin qualification is scheduled for July 30 at Scotstoun Stadium, with the medal event to be held the following day as Chopra bids to add a second Commonwealth Games gold to his illustrious career. (ANI)
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