By News18
Indian javelin thrower Rohit Yadav is gearing up for the Neeraj Chopra Classic with a focus on maintaining his fitness and aiming to match the season鈥檚 best throw of 83.40 metres.
Last month, Rohit battled tough weather conditions to clinch the gold medal at the Taiwan Athletics Open with a throw of 74.42m. As he prepares for the NC Classic, the two-time national champion hopes to reach his season鈥檚 best mark.
鈥淚f there鈥檚 an 80m mark, I believe I can reach it. The first thing is, you need to be fit to compete. Secondly, I don鈥檛 want to aggravate my injury. I鈥檓 confident I can produce a personal best throw. My goal is to throw close to my season鈥檚 best of 83.40 metres,鈥 said Rohit ahead of the Neeraj Chopra Classic, a world athletics gold-level event.
鈥淚n Taipei, I recorded a throw of 74.40 metres. I was dealing with an injury earlier, so I was being cautious to avoid aggravating it. I spoke to the physio, and he assured me there was no serious issue 鈥 just some tightness. There was a bit of load, so I competed with caution. I had set a target of 70 to 80 metres in Taiwan, so 74.40 was a good result. It was raining there, but overall, it went fine,鈥 he added.
Discussing the home advantage at the World Athletics gold-level meet, Rohit said, 鈥淚鈥檝e competed on this ground many times before, so that definitely gives us a bit of an advantage. When the venue changes, things can feel different, but here everything is familiar 鈥 the ground is well-maintained, the facilities are good, and there鈥檚 no issue with food and other arrangements. That鈥檚 the home advantage 鈥 the comfort and familiarity, and of course, the crowd support.鈥
Rohit further mentioned that while many athletes thrive on crowd energy, he finds his rhythm in focus and silence. 鈥淏ut to be honest, I鈥檓 someone who prefers silence. I know most athletes feed off the crowd鈥檚 energy, but personally, I like it quiet. If it鈥檚 the kind of crowd that claps in rhythm, that鈥檚 fine. But when people start shouting randomly, it can feel distracting, like things are out of control. It鈥檚 not that I have a problem with the cheering 鈥 I just prefer to stay focused on my throw, regardless of the noise,鈥 he said.
Expressing his excitement about the first international javelin throw competition to be held in India, Rohit said, 鈥淭his is happening for the first time, and I鈥檓 very happy about it 鈥 not just me, but the entire country. All of us javelin throwers are excited because world-class athletes are coming to compete here. Neeraj (Chopra) is also competing, and I last shared the field with him in 2022. Now, I鈥檒l get the opportunity to compete alongside him again, as well as with top international athletes,鈥 he concluded.
The Neeraj Chopra Classic, co-organised by two-time Olympic medallist Neeraj himself and JSW Sports, and sanctioned by the Athletics Federation of India, is scheduled to take place on Saturday at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru.
(With IANS Inputs)