Timing was not good at DL Finale, but I have three weeks for Worlds: Neeraj Chopra
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Zurich, Aug 29 (PTI): Indian javelin throw star Neeraj Chopra acknowledged that his timing was off in the Diamond League Finals in which he finished second but he is hopeful of hitting his strides at the World Championships next month in Tokyo, where he is the defending champion.
The two-time Olympic medallist finished runner-up in the Diamond League Finale 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.
"The timing was not so good today (Thursday), run-up was not so good. There is something I didn't find today, but I still have three weeks for the World Championships, and I will try my best," Chopra said after the event on Thursday.
The Tokyo Olympic gold medallist had crossed 90m for the first time earlier this year at the Doha Diamond League, but has on numerous occasions said he needs to improve his technique to hit the mark consistently.
"This was not too bad. But we are getting very close to the World Championships, so I still need to throw a little bit farther. There were a few things that went well, but still, there were the things which did not go that well," Chopra said.
"In the last attempt, I still managed to throw 85. But I am very happy for Julian (Weber), 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."
On how his season was shaping up ahead of the World Championships, the Paris Olympics silver-medallist said, "It's going well and today was a hard day. There is always a harder day in sports, so today was a hard day for me, but I still managed in the last (throw) over 85 metres."
Chopra, who has been dealing with a right groin injury for a long time, added that he is in good shape for the track and field showpiece in Tokyo, and that he was only looking to time his throw perfectly.
"I feel good and I just need to find some good timing," he added.
On Thursday, Weber took the top spot in the DL Finals, achieving a season's 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 six metres 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 as 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.
With Thursday's title, Weber extended his head-to-head record against Chopra to 3-1 this season. The German had earlier beaten Chopra to second place in Doha DL in May and ORLEN Janusz Kusocinski Memorial event in Chorzow, Poland, the same month.
Chopra won in Paris DL in June with Weber finishing second.
However, Chopra leads Weber in overall head-to-head record by a wide margin of 15-5 in competitions involving the duo since 2016.
Chopra has not finished outside second place since June 2021. He had skipped the Silesia and Brussels legs of DL on August 16 and August 22 respectively, but qualified for the Finals here in fourth spot with 15 points.
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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.
