Chopra has already trained in Potchefstroom on numerous occasions, including before the Olympics in Paris and Tokyo.
Neeraj Chopra, the gold medallist in the javelin at the 2020 Olympics, will travel to South Africa later this month for a training break in order to begin preparing for the championships the following year. After competing in the Diamond League Final in September in Brussels, the 26-year-old double Olympic medallist will stay in the South African capital for 31 days. The Sports Ministry is providing funding for Chopra’s training period. In a statement released on Friday, the ministry stated that “(He) will start his training early and will be in Potchefstroom for a period of 31 days,”
“Neeraj’s training session will be funded by Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (MYAS) and the expenditure will cover his and his Physiotherapist’s lodging, boarding and training cost for the period of his stay in South Africa.” Chopra has previously trained in Potchefstroom, including for the Tokyo and Paris Olympics.
He also competed there in January 2020, right before the COVID-19 pandemic hit the world. He won the first ACNW League Meeting at McArthur Stadium with a throw of 87.86m.
Chopra fought an adductor muscle niggle all year, which had an impact on his performance in both the Paris Olympics and the Diamond League Final, where he competed with a shattered left hand. Indian athletics chief coach Radhakrishnan Nair told PTI that a new coach for Chopra is expected to be selected by the end of this year.
Chopra’s major goal for next year will be to defend his World Championship gold medal in Tokyo, while also working hard to break the 90-meter barrier.
He won gold at the 2023 World Championships in Budapest, Hungary, with a throw of 88.17 metres. He has a personal best of 89.94m, which is just 6cm short of the 90m mark.
In the Paris Olympics, his silver-winning throw was 89.45m, but he was surpassed by Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem, who broke the Games record with a 92.97m performance.
