India’s javelin throw ace Neeraj Chopra has his sights firmly set on defending his title at the World Athletics Championships 2025 in Tokyo, Japan, this September.
Neeraj Chopra became the world champion at Budapest 2023 with an 88.17 throw, finishing ahead of Olympic champion Arshad Nadeem and Tokyo 2020 silver medallist Jakub Vadlejch.
The Indian ace has featured in six competitions this year, including Diamond League appearances, a landmark 90m throw, and his own hosted event.
“My next target is the World Championships, and I want to win there. Before the World Championships, I will plan with my coach and see which event I can compete in to best prepare for it,” Neeraj told PTI.
Neeraj Chopra will embark on a 57-day training stint in Prague and Nymburk, Czechia as he looks to fine-tune his preparations for the World Athletics Championships, which will take place from September 13 to 21.
He is currently coached by javelin world record holder and three-time Olympic champion Jan Železný and will be heading to Czechia with his physio Ishan Marwah on Friday night.
While elaborating on how he can continue to improve, Neeraj revealed that he has zeroed in on specific aspects of his technique that still need refining.
“I have already identified the areas I need to work on. While throwing the spear, I tend to fall too much on my left side. We need to work on that. In training, I don’t do that, but in competition, it happens because of the extra effort I put in,” he said.
The two-time Olympic medallist breached the 90m barrier with a 90.23m throw – a new national record at the Doha Diamond League earlier this year. Neeraj, however, is working to consistently hit the mark more frequently.
“I need to be more consistent to achieve it more often. I am continuously around 88-89m, and my coach said he is happy, but I need to be more consistent,” he said.
Other Indian athletes will also train in Europe and the USA before the World Championships, the Indian sports ministry announced on Friday.
Steeplechasers Avinash Sable and Parul Chaudhary, along with long-distance runner Gulveer Singh, will be training at Colorado Springs in the USA from July 15 to September 3. All three have qualified for the World Championships through entry standards.
Long jumper Murali Sreeshankar will be heading for competitions in Europe and Central Asia (Portugal, Spain and Kazakhstan) from July 19 till August 14. Long jump prospects Ancy Sojan and Shaili Singh will also be in Europe for events in London, Berlin and Lausanne.
While Ancy Sojan is currently eligible for the World Championships through Road to Tokyo 25 rankings, Murali Sreeshankar and Shaili Singh will look to bring themselves into contention with a strong showing in the upcoming events.