Now Reading: AFI chief defends Neeraj Chopra after silver at Commonwealth Games
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AFI chief defends Neeraj Chopra after silver at Commonwealth Games
Athletics Federation of India selection committee chairman Adille Sumariwalla has dismissed concerns over Neeraj Chopra's form and fitness, saying the two-time Olympic medal-winning javelin thrower should not be criticised for an occasional…
The Story in Brief
Athletics Federation of India selection committee chairman Adille Sumariwalla has dismissed concerns over Neeraj Chopra's form and fitness, saying the two-time Olympic medal-winning javelin thrower should not be criticised for an occasional silver. Chopra, 28, won silver at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow last month with a season-best 86.48m despite a lower back injury that has troubled him for nearly a year.
Sumariwalla told PTI that Chopra, who won gold at the 2018 CWG, remains India's greatest athlete. Separately, Ashish Yadav won silver in men's javelin at the World Athletics U20 Championships, becoming only the second Indian to medal there since Chopra's gold in 2016. The Indian track and field team returned from Glasgow with 10 medals, the best haul outside India.
The Indian Opinion
Social media is quick to call every silver a 'decline', but Adille Sumariwalla has rightly pointed out that Chopra's career is littered with historic firsts, two Olympic medals, a world title, a world junior record. The real question is not whether he can win every time, but whether Indian fans can learn to celebrate consistency without demanding perfection. Watch his next two Diamond League starts in Lausanne and Brussels to gauge where his fitness truly stands.
Sources (2): thehindu.com, timesofindia.indiatimes.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 2 sources.
