Star Metro - India's Chopra wants coach Zelezny's big-stage mindset

Chopra joined Czech javelin legend Jan Zelezny's coaching group ahead of the 2025 season and last weekend won the inaugural edition of the Neeraj Chopra Classic in Bengaluru, stretching his streak of top-two finishes to 25 events.

"He always performed in big tournaments and I am trying to pick his mindset of a big-stage performer and that will help me," Chopra told reporters on Friday at an event organised by one of his sponsors near New Delhi.

"The main target this year is the Tokyo World Championships and we are working towards it."

The World Championships are in September.

The 27-year-old Chopra won an Olympic gold in Tokyo in 2021 and silver in Paris last year. He took the last world title in Budapest in 2023. Zelezny won four Olympic medals, three of them gold, and three world titles in a career that lasted more than 20 years.

"I am happy to work with him because he has been a consistent performer," Chopra said. "He is a very good coach. He has been a good athlete and is very helpful as a person."

Chopra passed 90 metres for the first time when he threw 90.23m in the Doha Diamond League meeting in May - only to finish second to German Julian Weber.

Zelezny "is working on my technique", Chopra said, adding that he was taking time to adapt.

"In training it is good but I have still not been able to grasp and implement his styles on competition days. I get mixed with the old and the new styles, but hopefully I will get the hang of it and it will bear results."

Chopra's success, his boyish looks and his mop of hair have made him a sex symbol in India.

His 2021 victory was India's first Olympic track and field gold. He said he hopes to start a dynasty.

"I want to see better javelin throwers than me in India," he said. "I want the next generation of Indian athletes to be strong mentally and physically and have self-belief to go the distance."

A.Gagnon--SMC