Now Reading: Sumariwalla backs Neeraj Chopra after Commonwealth Games silver
-
01
Sumariwalla backs Neeraj Chopra after Commonwealth Games silver
Athletics Federation of India selection committee chairman Adille Sumariwalla has defended Neeraj Chopra after the javelin thrower won silver at the Commonwealth Games with a season-best 86.48 metres. Speaking to PTI, Sumariwalla…
The Story in Brief
Athletics Federation of India selection committee chairman Adille Sumariwalla has defended Neeraj Chopra after the javelin thrower won silver at the Commonwealth Games with a season-best 86.48 metres. Speaking to PTI, Sumariwalla said Chopra, who has managed a lower back injury for nearly a year, should not be judged for failing to win gold every time. Chopra returned to competition at the Doha Diamond League in June, finishing fourth, and is scheduled to compete in Lausanne on August 21 and at the Diamond League final in Brussels on September 4 and 5.
India’s track and field team won 10 medals in Glasgow, including five silver and five bronze. It was the country’s best haul at a Commonwealth Games outside India, though the 2010 Delhi Games record remains 12 medals. Sumariwalla said narrow margins had denied some athletes gold. He has also nominated himself for the World Athletics presidency election next September.
The Indian Opinion
The gold-or-failure narrative around Chopra is unfair, but so is treating every concern about his back injury as needless scrutiny. A silver after a season-best throw is a useful result, not proof that all is well. His next two Diamond League appearances should offer a clearer measure of fitness and progress. The question is whether he can compete consistently without another injury setback.
Source: thehindu.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
