Neeraj Chopra finishes second in Diamond League Finals, Weber wins maiden trophy
Zurich(PTI): Two-time Olympic medallist javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra finished runner-up in the Diamond League Finals for the third time in a row as Julian Weber of Germany lifted his maiden trophy with two 90m-plus throws in a commanding show here on Thursday.
Chopra was lying third till the fifth round following his opening throw of 84.35m before his final effort of 85.01m took him to the second spot, overtaking 2012 London Olympics gold winner Keshorn Walcott of Trinidad and Tobago who ended third with 84.95m.
Weber achieved a season world leading throw of 91.57m, his personal best, in his second attempt. He began with 91.37m effort, and after that it was a one-man show in the seven-man field.
None of Weber's rivals could even come near his mark, as his best effort of the day was over 6m more than that of Chopra. The German had a foul, 83.66m, 86.45m and 88.66m after his second throw.
Clearly, Chopra was not at his best in the season's Diamond League grand finale. He had three legal throws out of the six attempts.
Known for his consistency in producing 88m-plus throws, it was a rare instance of the 27-year-old Indian star just being able to touch the 85m mark.
He was hoping to regain the trophy he had won in 2022, but ended up finishing second for the third time after 2023 and 2024.
Defending champion Anderson Peters of Grenada was fourth with 82.06m.
Chopra was not his usual self as he began with 84.35m and then followed it up with 82m and a foul. He was at third spot at the halfway stage, and he fouled his fourth and fifth attempts before coming up with a 85.01m effort in his last throw.
"This was not too bad. But we are getting very close to the world championships, so I still need to throw a little bit further. There were a few things that went well, but still, there were the things which did not go that well," Chopra said after the event.
"In the last attempt, I still managed to throw 85. But I am very happy for Julian today - he managed to throw really far, and to show 91m was really good. We will see in three weeks.
"I still need to train a little bit. In this sport, we do not know. It depends on the day."
Chopra said everything "will be different" in Tokyo during the World Championships (September 13-21).
"Julian, he is a good friend of mine and I am always happy when he is doing well and we push each other. There will be some friends from India coming to cheer for me in Tokyo.
"I have some friends who live there. At major championships, the gold is more important than the far throws. So I will try my best to win the medal."
Weber's effort was also his third 90m-plus throw of the season as well as his career. He had breached the coveted 90m mark with a 91.06m throw while winning the Doha DL title on May 16.
Chopra also breached the 90m mark for the first time in Doha with a throw of 90.23m but finished second behind Weber.
Chopra will now head to Tokyo for next month's World Championships as the defending champion.
Weber 3-1 against Chopra in head-to-head this season.
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Karnataka readies for deficit monsoon; CM Siddaramaiah orders water supply measures
Bengaluru (PTI): Warning of a likely deficit monsoon across the state, barring five districts, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday instructed deputy commissioners to take precautionary measures to prevent disruption to the drinking water supply.
The CM chaired a meeting with district-in-charge ministers, deputy commissioners, and Zilla Panchayat chief executive officers to review drinking water supply in rural and urban areas during the peak of summer.
"The meteorological department has predicted below-normal monsoon rainfall this year. There is a possibility of normal rainfall in August, while less rainfall is expected in September," Siddaramaiah was quoted as saying in a statement issued by his office.
"If there is any disruption in the drinking water supply, the respective Deputy Commissioners will be held responsible," he said, directing the Revenue, Panchayat Raj and Urban Development departments to coordinate closely.
Stating that most districts in the north interior region are likely to experience more hot days than usual between April and June, the CM asked deputy commissioners to take appropriate precautionary measures.
He said forecasts by the meteorological department should be taken seriously.
Public shade and drinking water facilities should be provided, he said, adding that there is no shortage of funds to ensure water supply.
He also said the Finance Department has been instructed to release funds based on reports from deputy commissioners.
A total of 213 taluks and 2,410 gram panchayats have been identified as potentially facing drinking water shortages during summer. At present, 598 gram panchayats across 114 taluks are facing shortages.
Drinking water is being supplied to 137 villages through 129 tankers. As many as 585 private borewells have been rented to supply water to 515 villages.
The CM said shortages are likely in several districts, including Kalaburagi (147 gram panchayats), Bagalkot (114), Belagavi (127), Chikkamagaluru (115), Haveri (138), Mandya (130), Tumakuru (141) and Uttara Kannada (125).
At present, 27 urban local bodies are facing water shortages, while 95 have been identified as vulnerable. A total of 145 wards are being supplied water through 57 tankers, and 22 borewells have been taken on rent.
Tankers should be used only in emergencies, with priority given to renting private borewells, he said, adding that borewells can be drilled if necessary.
Highlighting that 321.93 TMC of water is currently available in the state’s 14 major reservoirs—36 per cent of total capacity—Siddaramaiah said this compares with 330.35 TMC during the same period last year. "Sufficient water is available in reservoirs for drinking purposes at present," he said.
With the monsoon likely to be delayed, he directed officials to ensure adequate drinking water availability in reservoirs till mid-July.
Drinking water supply should be prioritised over irrigation, he said, directing officials to identify and repair leakages in reservoirs.
Public grievances related to drinking water should be addressed promptly, with control rooms set up at the taluk and ward levels. District-level task forces should function actively, he added.
Cautioning about possible disruption in fertiliser supply due to the situation in the Middle East, the CM directed officials to prevent hoarding and ensure timely availability to farmers.
"Ensure proper distribution of urea and DAP and prevent their diversion to other states," he said, adding that inspections at check posts should be intensified.
He noted that due to good rainfall over the past two years, there is no immediate shortage of fodder, but availability should continue to be monitored. The CM directed that task force meetings on drinking water be held in all taluks and reports be submitted.
He also stressed the need to prevent the supply of contaminated water, saying deputy commissioners are responsible for ensuring safe drinking water and preventing related health issues.
Officials were asked to continuously monitor fertiliser sales to ensure an adequate supply for eligible farmers.
"Some districts, including Haveri, have recorded higher fertiliser sales than last year. What is the reason?" he asked, calling for close monitoring to prevent shortages.
