Chopra promises to go farther

A 90m throw seemed to weigh down world champ, especially after ending with silver at Paris Games. But not anymore

- Shantanu Srivastava

NEW DELHI: With Neeraj Chopra it was always a matter of when and not if.

Destined for glory since he burst onto the scene nine years back with the under-20 world title — with a world record that still stands — Chopra had won everything there is going into Friday's Diamond League meet in Doha. Everything but the distance he has so long desired.

The 90m barrier that was building Chopra's frustration despite his consistent results was finally breached in the warm Qatari capital when his efforts and the elements came together in symphony.

If it still wasn't a perfect script, that is because Chopra's 90.23m was pipped by Julian Weber's 91.06m in the final attempt of the competition. For once, the fiercely competitive Indian wouldn't have minded.

Chopra's palatial residence in Haryana's Khandra village houses his countless trophies and memories, but deep within him, the 27-year-old reigning world champion has long nurtured an ambition that even started to go beyond medals.

The gnawing sense of incompleteness that comes from knowing you have not been able to get there. To an extent it starts feeling like unfulfilled potential.

The mind would hark back to that night in Paris where Chopra, desperate after Arshad Nadeem's record-breaking 92.97m throw, willed himself to go the distance (pun intended).