TOI Sports Desk
With a javelin throw of 89.45 meters, Chopra finished second in the Paris showcase behind Arshad Nadeem of Pakistan, who set an Olympic record with a throw of 92.97 meters.
Among the field that featured several well-known javelin throwers like Julian Webber, Jakub Vadlejch, and Julius Yego, Anderson Peters of Grenada placed third with a throw of 88.54 meters.
“It’s a dream of mine to compete with other international stars in India. Hopefully, there will be an international competition soon in India and I can do that,” Chopra said during an interactive session with fans organised by the Olympics.com as per PTI.
Prior to that, though, Chopra-whose silver marked his second consecutive Olympic medal after the gold in Tokyo-said he wished to improve on a few specific aspects of his game.
“I am entering a new season now. So, I don’t have that much time to change training methods or technique. But I hope to improve upon a couple of areas, especially the line of the javelin.
“You know, the correct angle of throwing so that I get more power in my throw. I will certainly work on it,” he said.
Despite not feeling physically at his best, Chopra stated that he intended to give it everything he had in the Paris Games final.
“The body conditions (of his) were tough. But when Arshad made that throw…I was able to hit my season’s best because the thought was set in my mind that I had to give the best throw because the competition had already become very tough.”
Chopra and Nadeem’s mothers, who showered love on each other’s son, had caught social media by storm.
Chopra claimed that his mother was a straightforward country woman who spoke from the heart every time.
“My mother…she always stayed in a village before and after her marriage. She is not familiar with social media and things like that. She often speaks from her heart. But she understands what families of athletes, even from different countries, feel towards them.”
Praise for Sreejesh, Manu
Chopra praised shooter Manu Bhaker for her tenacity in winning two bronze medals at the Paris Games following her defeat in the Tokyo Games.
“The way Manu Bhaker prepared her mind and came from her Tokyo setback is impressive. Her mindset appeared to be very strong this time while taking part in back-to-back competitions. I think it’s just a start for her because I saw even people over 50 (age) were participating in shooting.
“I hope Manu will play in a lot more competitions, bring a lot more medals for the country and change the colour of the medal too,” he said.
The 26-year-old also praised PR Sreejesh, the Indian hockey team‘s goalie, who finished his career in elite competition with a bronze in Paris.
“Sreejesh is a very relaxed and funny person. He motivates younger players a lot. Sreejesh bhai had said that he would retire after the Olympics. The players, I think, also felt that they should win it for Sreejesh bhai after doing so many great things for the team.”
According to Chopra, Sreejesh sets a good example for handling pressure.
“He has so many years of experience and he knows how to tackle the pressure situations. He seemed to be in his zone when I met him before the bronze medal match,” he added.