Mumbai: There’s a certain peculiarity in listening to Neeraj Chopra speak as a silver medallist at a major multi-sport event. He did so for a second straight time at the 2026 Commonwealth Games, after the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Indians, athletes as well as fans, celebrate medals of any colour in once-in-four-years Games, but it’s different when it comes to the country’s modern-day gold standard athlete.
In Paris, where the defending Olympic champion took silver, Chopra’s tone for most part of his media interaction carried more frustration of his body not being fit enough to dig out that one mammoth throw than jubilation of being a rare Indian sportsperson to call himself a multiple Olympic medallist.
On Friday night in Glasgow after the javelin final, where the 2018 CWG champion returned to the podium after sitting out of the previous edition and battling a couple of injury-hampered seasons, Chopra kept saying on multiple occasions – “yeh bhi theek hai (this too is just fine)”.
In a quality field (certainly more than many events at this CWG from an India point of view) where five men had a personal best of 90m-plus and in testing windy conditions, Chopra finished second with a season’s best of 85.83m off his second attempt.
The 28-year-old’s first few sentences while speaking to the media had rich words for Yashvir Singh, his bronze medallist compatriot whose personal best 85.41m off his last attempt ensured a first double podium finish for India in javelin at the CWG.
He then credited Sri Lanka’s Rumesh Tharanga, 23, for his only legal throw, the defining one at 89.75m, which set him apart from the rest and added another feather to the budding pacer turned season’s leading thrower’s sensational rise.
As for himself, well, “theek hai”.
“In such competitions, I always try to get the Indian national anthem played,” Chopra told the media in Glasgow. “Par, yeh bhi theek hai. I have given my season best.”
Chopra’s season began only in June, at the Doha Diamond League where he finished fourth with 85.69m. It was his first competitive outing after signing off eighth at the Tokyo World Championships as the defending champion last September.
Throughout last season, Chopra, who spoke about persistent groin trouble in Paris, continued to battle physical issues. He had the much-craved 90m throw in the bag but his celebrated consistency went somewhat missing. He parted ways with Jan Zelezny and went back to childhood coach Jai Choudhary.
Resets of such kind demand time. Comebacks from injuries and considerable time off can demand patience.
Only a few top-notch athletes across sport can turn up after months of inaction or sub-par performances and turn it on when it matters on the big stage. Think Novak Djokovic. Or, PV Sindhu in her pomp.
Pakistan’s Olympic champion Arshad Nadeem had competed in just one event in a year, a below 80m effort 15 days before CWG, coming to Glasgow. He fizzled out from the final’s first set of throws after a 78.63m. It would thus have been understandable if that was the case with Chopra, more so after his Doha and CWG qualification (79.61m in tougher conditions) outings.
Chopra, though, is top-notch, technically too. No matter him being “not as fit as before”, as he put it, and only “getting back to rhythm gradually”.
“The comeback is going okay,” Chopra said. “If you’re 100% fit, you have the fighting spirit, and that feeling that you can do anything. If you’re returning from an injury, you have to be watchful. Today I had that fear in my mind, that I shouldn’t overdo anything.”
Chopra’s best came off his second throw, for a brief lead. So did Tharanga’s benchmark-setting and lone valid throw. The Indian responded with 81.29m and 80.73m before choosing to scratch the final two attempts.
“Even I had just one throw that went well. I was hoping for a few more. I had a
feeling I could throw more, but the javelin did not fly,” Chopra said.
He said though the conditions were better than during qualifying, it was still cold, which he doesn’t prefer. “Indian khoon hai,” he chuckled.
Having an Indian alongside him among the medals made him happier, reminding him of the Guangzhou Asian Games. Yashvir was happy being in the company of his country’s javelin pathbreaker. Until five throws, his best of 81.33m would not have been enough for that. Until, after some words by Chopra, the 24-year-old from Rajasthan produced his best ever 85.41m to leapfrog to bronze.
“The biggest thing is,” said Chopra of the Indian flavour on the podium, “if I’m not on the field or out injured, there are others behind me who can take care of things and throw well.”
Like Chopra did on the day, a challenging comeback and conditions notwithstanding.
“Gold is a different feeling altogether,” he said. “Par, yeh bhi theek hai. It’s good to be back on the podium after a while.”