Neeraj Chopra named two cricketers for javelin throw, said- I think he..

Two Olympic medallist Neeraj Chopra revealed he would like to have Indian cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar’s superpower of performing extremely despite facing setbacks. Neeraj, who recently won the Paris Diamond League and the Ostrava Golden Spike Meet, is breaking barriers by being the first person to steward the first-ever Neeraj Chopra Classic javelin throw meet, which is going to be the World Athletics ‘A’ category meet, the first of its kind to take place in India, on July 5 in the Sree Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru.

Speaking to Start Sports, when asked which cricketer’s superpower he would like to have for javelin throw, the reigning world champion named Tendulkar. Chopra told Star Sports, “Sachin Tendulkar. He represented our country very well for so many years and set many records for us. The way he faced challenges from many great bowlers and still performed exceptionally, I would like to do the same. This will help me face the challenges that come my way with a calm mindset.”

The 27-year-old javelin throw star further added that he feels Australia’s legendary pacer Brett Lee, who used to throw javelin before making a name for himself in cricket, and Indian pacer Jasprit Bumrah would be able to emulate him in javelin throwing. “I have heard that Brett Lee was a javelin thrower. I think he could throw the javelin well, especially when he was in his peak years. I would also like to javelin throw with Jasprit Bumrah and hope he teaches me some bowling skills. Though bowling and javelin throwing are both different. I would like to learn from Bumrah.” Chopra said former India captain MS Dhoni’s famous ‘helicopter shot’ is similar to javelin throwing in terms of power and technique.

Talking about being superstitious while playing the game, he said, “I try to stay calm on the day of my event. I don’t think too much about it. I just focus on giving my 100 percent. I try to stay calm, eat well and rest well.”

Sharing the best advice he has received on and off the field, the javelin thrower said, “This advice came from my coach Jan Zelezny, who also holds the world record in javelin throw with a distance of 98.48m. Whenever I throw the javelin, I am very energetic, but he tells me that I should run in flow. It should not feel tight – I should run like an 18-year-old without any tension.”

“I am slowly understanding the concept of flow. I think flow is very important in any sport. For example, Roger Federer – he used to play with such grace and rhythm that it never felt like he was trying too hard. I am trying to bring that into my training.” Watch the Neeraj Chopra Classic 2025 Javelin Throw event on July 5 from 7 PM onwards on Star Sports Network (SS1 Hindi & SS2) and JioHotstar.