Reigning champion Neeraj set to light up the Worlds yet again

Javelin star will do what he does best but other Indians need to step up in Tokyo too

- HT Correspondent

Cast your mind back to the previous World Athletics Championships two years ago in Budapest and what stood out from an Indian viewpoint.

Sure, there was Neeraj Chopra and his javelin gold that continued to set unparalleled benchmarks. But there was also the men’s 4x400m relay team and their Asian record setting, final berth seizing exploits that, for those fleeting few days, captured the attention of Indian sports followers.

As track and field’s global showpiece event begins in Tokyo from Saturday, Indian athletes would do well to deliver similar punching-above-the-weight moments to go with the hefty spotlight on their star poster boy and sole world champion.

In Budapest, apart from Chopra's gold, the relay team broke the Asian record in qualification and shone for a fifth-place final finish. Steeplechaser Parul Chaudhary ran her personal best in qualification and signed off Ilth in the final with a new national record. Ajay Kumar Saroj also set anew personal best in the 500m heat.