Neeraj Chopra, received a hero's welcome upon his return to Haryana.
Having secured second place in the Diamond League at Brussels despite an injury, Chopra was honored with a grand reception by the Sports University of Haryana in Sonipat on Friday.
Sharing about the secret of his consistent performance, and success that has made him the country's star javelin thrower who holds two Olympic medals, said with a positive mindset, in our minds we need to believe that "we can do it and it will work out."
"In our mind, we should believe that we can do it. We should be positive, and it will work out. So, before stepping onto the field, we should believe that we will do well," Neeraj said at an event held at Sports University of Haryana in Sonipat.
This positive outlook and self-belief are crucial components of his preparation and performance, he said.
When asked about the consistency of his throws, always surpassing the 85-meter mark, Chopra revealed the rigorous mental and physical training that underpins his success.
"You have to continue training. Sometimes, the body will not permit it, but I think the mind is the most powerful thing. I push myself and remind myself that I have to complete my training as planned," he explained.
Chopra narrowly missed out on another title by just 1 centimetre, finishing second in the Diamond League final with a best throw of 87.86 meters at the King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels, Belgium.
Chopra's approach highlights the importance of mental strength and determination in achieving athletic excellence. His ability to push through physical limitations and maintain a positive mindset has been key to his consistent performance and remarkable achievements on the global stage.
In the Diamond League final, Chopra started strong with a throw of 86.82-metre, placing him second behind Peters, whose winning throw came in the opening round. Julian Weber also recorded his best on his first attempt. Chopra followed up with an 83.49-meter throw and came close to overtaking Peters on his third attempt, missing by just 1 centimetre. His subsequent throws measured 82.04m, 83.30m, and 86.46m.
This marked Chopra's fifth appearance in the Diamond League final. He finished seventh in 2017, fourth in 2018, and won the Diamond League crown in 2022 with a throw of 88.44m. Last year, he finished second behind Jakub Vadlejch with a throw of 83.80m.
The 26-year-old accumulated 14 points across two Diamond League meets this season to qualify for the final. He finished second in both the Doha leg in May and the Lausanne event last month, placing fourth on the overall points table. Seven athletes competed in the men's javelin throw final.
Chopra set a national record of 89.94m at the Stockholm leg of the Diamond League in 2022 and recorded his career's second-best throw of 89.49m at the Lausanne meet last month. His silver-winning throw in Paris measured an impressive 89.45m.
