Neeraj Chopra Celebrates Young Athletes' Achievements at Under Armour Event

Neeraj Chopra Applauds Rising Stars in Indian Sports

Gurugram (Haryana) [India], July 11: Neeraj Chopra, the gold medalist in javelin throw from the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and a world champion, expressed admiration for young talents Tejaswin Shankar, Jay Shah, and fencers Rishika Khajuria and Jyotika Dutta, commending their "dedication and talent."

Tejaswin, an international decathlete, holds the National Record and is renowned for his high jump skills. He made history as India's first high jump medallist at the Commonwealth Games, earning a bronze in Hangzhou in 2023. Jay, a record holder in the triple jump at 16.36 m, has also made his mark in athletics. Rishika and Jyotika are both national-level medalists in fencing.

Rishika, a sabre fencer from Jammu, has represented India on various international platforms, including the World Championships and the World University Games. She is gearing up for the 2025 World University Games in Germany and has achieved multiple podium finishes at national competitions, including a gold medal at the 2024 Inter-University Championships.

Jyotika, hailing from Rohru, Himachal Pradesh, is training at the National Institute of Sports (NIS) in Patiala. She has competed for India at the Asian Games twice, reaching the quarterfinals on both occasions, and has amassed over 20 medals in national championships.

Jay has consistently excelled at the university level, holding two All India Universities National Records in the Triple Jump. He represented India at the 2019 World University Games in Naples, Italy, and has also earned national medals in the 200m sprint and 100m relay.

During an event organized by Under Armour, where these athletes were signed by the brand, Neeraj remarked, "Tejaswin, Jay, Jyotika, and Rishika have demonstrated remarkable dedication and talent, and I believe they will motivate many more athletes in India. Together, we are proving that hard work and belief can lead underdogs to greatness."

Tushar Goculdas, Managing Director of Underdog Athletics, the exclusive distributor of Under Armour in India, emphasized their commitment to supporting underdogs who train diligently and let their performance speak for itself. He noted that Neeraj embodies this mindset and welcomed the four promising athletes who share the same passion.

In an interview at the event, Neeraj discussed his aspirations for the javelin throw world record after surpassing the 90-meter mark and his preparations for the upcoming World Athletics Championships. He expressed his goal of gradually increasing his distance, stating, "I believe in taking it step by step. I've reached 90 m, and I aim to add one or two meters before targeting 95 m. As Sumit (Antil) mentioned, 95 m is indeed achievable. After that, I will focus on breaking my coach's record."

Following his recent success at the Paris Diamond League, Neeraj reflected on the challenge of breaking his coach Jan Zelezny's record of 98 m, saying, "He has thrown over 90 m multiple times. Once I hit 95 m, I can start to make bold statements, but for now, I need to keep working hard."

With Zelezny, the world record holder in men's javelin throw, guiding him, Neeraj achieved the 90 m mark for the first time at the Doha Diamond League in May, ending speculation about his ability to reach that distance. He finished second in that event with a throw of 90.23 m, just behind Germany's Julian Weber, who threw 91.06 m.

In a previous interview, Para-athletic javelin thrower and double Paralympics gold medalist Antil expressed confidence in Neeraj's potential to exceed 95 meters, praising his technique and improvements since 2017.

As he prepares to defend his title at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, Neeraj stated, "I am training diligently and hope to perform my best. This is the most significant competition of the year, and I will continue to prepare thoroughly." The championships are scheduled for September 13-21, 2025. A victory would make him the first Indian to defend his title, while any medal would mark a historic hat-trick, following his silver in 2022 and gold in Budapest.

Discussing his collaboration with coach Zelezny, Neeraj mentioned they are focusing on technical aspects of his throw, aiming to improve his performance in competitions. He also highlighted the importance of quality gear, stating, "Comfort and quality are crucial. They help prevent injuries and enhance performance."

Recently, Neeraj triumphed at the inaugural Neeraj Chopra Classic held at Sri Kanteerava Outdoor Stadium in Bengaluru, achieving a throw of 86.18 m. Kenya's Julius Yego secured second place with a season-best throw of 84.51 m, while Sri Lanka's Rumesh Pathirage finished third with 84.34 m.

Despite some athletes coming close to challenging Neeraj's dominance, he maintained his superiority throughout the tournament. Although he did not achieve another 90 m throw, he demonstrated his prowess by overcoming the competition and has consistently ranked among the top two since June 26, 2021.

Neeraj has had an impressive season in 2025, starting with a victory at the Potch Invitational in South Africa in April, followed by a notable second-place finish at the Doha Diamond League, where he crossed the 90-meter mark for the first time. He also secured second place at the Janusz Kusocinski Memorial in Poland and won titles at the Paris Diamond League and Ostrava Golden Spike, with best throws of 88.16 m and 85.29 m, respectively. His recent victory at the NC Classic in front of his home crowd further solidified his status as a leading athlete.