CWG: Neeraj Chopra focused on giving his best, not obsessing over the 90m mark

Two-time Olympic medalist Neeraj Chopra said he is not obsessed with breaking the 90m mark every time he races and stressed that winning major titles and maintaining consistency is more important than chasing a certain distance. Ahead of his return to the Commonwealth Games, Chopra said he would remain focused on delivering his best performance regardless of the conditions.

The reigning world champion finally broke the coveted 90m mark personal best in a throw of 90.23 m at the Diamond League in Doha last year, ending years of speculation about when he would reach the milestone. However, the Indian star said distance was never his primary focus at major championships.

“No, I don’t feel the pressure nor am I obsessed with a particular distance. As an athlete, my aim is always to improve my distance,” Chopra said when asked by PTI.

“I always feel at the big games, the main challenge is to win gold among the best athletes in the world. The second thing is the distance. So I feel I have to keep increasing.”

Chopra said the weather and other external factors can often determine how far athletes are able to throw, so consistency is an equally important quality at the highest level.

“But when the conditions are difficult, we are not able to gain distance. In that case, we have to be consistent. So I feel I should maintain consistency and see how I can increase the distance,” he said.

After finally breaking the 90m mark, Chopra said he still wants to push his personal best further.

“I definitely want to improve my throw.

The men’s javelin event has become increasingly competitive in Asia, with Pakistan’s Olympic champion Arshad Nadeem, Sri Lanka’s Diamond League champion Rumesh Pathirage and Chopra regularly competing against each other on the international circuit. Chopra believes that increasing competition helps all athletes improve.

“That’s good. When the competition is tough, we’re able to push each other more. Especially in South Asia, there’s a lot of competition right now. Everyone’s going to make it,” Chopra said.

‘TOUGH FIELD AT CWG’

Chopra is returning to the Commonwealth Games for the first time since winning gold on his Gold Coast Games debut in 2018. He missed Birmingham 2022 due to injury and said he was looking forward to competing again at the event that has played a significant role in his career.

“The field is quite tough. There are medalists from the Olympics and the World Championships, the Commonwealth Games and the Asian Games. They all feature in the Diamond League.”

With rain and gusty winds forecast during the competition, Chopra said he has already started preparing for the conditions and believes mental strength will be crucial.

“I did some practice throws yesterday. The conditions are tough but the same for everyone,” he said.

“No matter how bad the conditions are, we have to stay mentally strong. I’m always thinking about how to make the absolute best throw in the worst conditions.”

The 28-year-old also said he is happy with his fitness after recovering from injury and feels he is in much better shape physically.

“It’s good now. I played my first competition in Doha after recovery and it went well. I worked on my weaknesses and fitness and I feel much better now.”

Reflecting on his return to the Commonwealth Games after eight years, Chopra said memories of his triumph in Australia remain special as it marked the start of his rise to the senior international stage.

“I have very good memories of the Commonwealth Games. It was my first senior competition at the Commonwealth Games and I basically started my senior career there when I won the gold,” he said.

“It’s been eight years and I’m finally back.

“As I always say, when you represent your country, the big games are always special.

“I’m happy to be back on the pitch, I feel good and I’ve been working on my game for a while now. The nature of the competition has changed a lot over the last eight years,” he said.

Chopra will begin his Commonwealth Games campaign on July 30, when the men’s javelin qualifiers are scheduled.

– The end

Issued by:

Saurabh Kumar

Published on:

26 Jul 2026 18:17 IST