Neeraj Chopra Diary: 'Maje Karo,' My German Trainer Would Tell Me

We athletes are dependent on a supportive ecosystem. I am lucky to have got the right support by the federation, the sports ministry and my sponsors, JSW. To be the best one cannot compromise with the quality of training and trainers. My stint with legendary javelin thrower Uwe Hohn in 2018 was a significant period of my journey. But if I managed to recover and get my strength back and attain peak physical fitness after a depressing 2019, all credit goes to Dr Klaus Bartonietz, the German bio-mec­hanic expert. Javelin throwing is a combination of strength, flexibility and speed. All these combine to give the explosive power one needs to hurl the spear. There is a difference between just throwing a spear and throwing a javelin afar.

Klaus has not only been a trainer; he has been a mental conditioning coach as well. On the final day, when there was a fire raging inside me, he helped me control my emotions. To focus on winning gold can be detrimental. Apart from fine-tuning my technique, Klaus advised me to enjoy the moment and focus on my performance. He would say ‘maje karo’ (have fun) and that would reduce the pressure on me. All top coaches know the virtues of mind relaxation. I believe the men’s hockey coach also told the boys to play ‘aaram se’ (be relaxed) before the bronze medal match against Germany.

I was very happy with my second attempt and celebrated a bit too. It was better and went as far as 87.58m but it still was not my best. I was a bit disappointed when I saw the scoreboard. The field was under pressure and favourite Joannes Vetter of Germany crashing out early was a surprise. Vetter had been in superb form with multiple 90-plus throws in 2021 and was playing mind games but sport can be funny and Olympics can be funnier. I was not worrying about Vetter’s form. I was more concerned about my performance in Tokyo. That no athlete is unbeatable has been proven once again.

Yes, I want to break the 90-metre barrier, but winning gold for India was special. It took a few days to settle down once I arrived in Tokyo. I had been training in Europe and Japan was seven hours ahead. The time zone difference messed up my sleep pattern and I did not get adequate rest before my events. And then the doping control guys would wake me up at 6 am. I can’t remember sleeping for a solid six hours at a stretch in Tokyo. But all the pain and struggle were worth it. I dedicate my medal to Milkha Singhji. He came so close to winning an Olympic medal in Rome. And of course, P.T. Usha. I have fulfilled their dream and have hopefully raised the bar of aspiration of every Indian sportsperson heading to Paris 2024.

(As told to Soumitra Bose)

Neeraj Chopra won gold in javelin at the Tokyo Olympics