Neeraj Chopra scripts another history, wins Lausanne Diamond League title
Lausanne(PTI): Olympic champion javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra on Friday scripted history as he became the first Indian to clinch a Diamond League Meeting title by winning the Lausanne leg here.
The 24-year-old Chopra, who had pulled out of the Birmingham Commonwealth Games due to a "minor" groin injury he had suffered while winning a silver during the World Championships last month, hurled the spear to 89.08m in his first attempt to seal the win in style.
Chopra rested and rehabilitated for a month but it looked like the injury had not happened at all as he continued his vintage form. The 89.08m throw was his third career-best effort. His second throw measured 85.18m before passing on his third attempt.
His fourth throw was a foul while he again passed his fifth attempt before coming up with 80.04m in the sixth and last round. Only the top three after the fifth round get the sixth throw.
The youngster from Khandra village near Panipat in Haryana became the first Indian to win a Diamond League crown.
Before Chopra, discus thrower Vikas Gowda is the only Indian to have finished in top-three in a Diamond League Meet. Gowda had finished second twice -- in New York in 2012 and in Doha in 2014 -- and third on two occasions -- Shanghai and Eugene in 2015.
"I am delighted with my result tonight. 89m is a great performance. I am specially pleased as I am coming back from an injury and tonight was a good indicator that I have recovered well," Chopra said after the event.
"I had to skip Commonwealth Games due to injury and I was a bit nervous. Tonight has given me a lot of confidence to finish the season on a high, with a strong performance in Zurich DL Final."
Tokyo Olympics silver medallist Jakub Vadlejch finished second with a best throw of 85.88m while Curtis Thompson of USA was third with a best effort of 83.72m.
Chopra qualified for the Diamond League Finals in Zurich on September 7 and 8, and also became the first Indian to do so. Despite the win, he remained on fourth spot with 15 points -- with the addition of eight points on Friday. The top six after the Lausanne leg qualify for Zurich Finals.
Vadlejch remained on top spot with 27 points, followed by Julian Weber (19 points) of Germany and world champion Anderson Peters of Grenada (16 points). Weber and Peters did not take part in Lausanne. Peters is recovering from an injury after he was assaulted inside a boat in his country earlier this month.
Thompson and Latvia's Patriks Gailums also qualified for Zurich Finals.
Chopra also qualified for the 2023 World Championships in Budapest, Hungary by breaching the 85.20m qualifying mark.
Chopra had finished second in the Stockholm leg of the prestigious event behind Peters with a national record throw of 89.94m, just 6cm short of the 90m mark, the gold standard in the world of javelin throw.
In the World Championships in Eugene, USA, he was not in the medal position till the third round but here Chopra was leading from the first throw till the end though the eight-man field was not so strong.
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PM Modi explained reason why he doesn't hold press conferences
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently in an interview to India Today said that “the media today was not what it used to be”, and also said as to why he has been selective in attending interviews. During an exclusive conversation with India Today, PM Modi said that his reduced participation in media interviews is a conscious decision aimed at prioritizing direct engagement with grassroots issues over media appearances.
"I have to work hard. I want to go to poor people's homes. I can also cut ribbons and get my photo taken in Vigyan Bhawan. I don't do that. I go to a small district of Jharkhand and work towards a small scheme," PM Modi said.
He said he brought a new work culture, adding, "If that culture feels right, then the media should present it correctly; if not, then they shouldn't."
PM Modi further stated that the media was no longer a separate entity today. "Earlier, I used to talk to Aaj Tak, but now the viewers know who I am talking to (referring to anchors). The media is no longer a separate entity today. Like many others, you (the anchors) have also made your views known to people," the Prime Minister said.
Seconds later, he said in jest, "If maximum people watch me in this election, they will watch me on Aaj Tak."
Pointing out that earlier media were the only source of communication, but now new mediums of communication are available PM Modi said, “Today, if you want to talk to the public, communication is two-way. Today, the public can also make their voice known without the media. Even a person who has to answer can express his views well without the media.”
