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Defending Olympic champion javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra is all set to compete in India after a long time in the 27th Federation Cup National Championship 2024, scheduled to be held from May 12 to 15 at Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar, Odisha.
Notably, Neeraj Chopra will use the Federation Cup in Odisha as the preparation for the Paris Olympic 2024 as he will be looking to defend his Tokyo Olympics title in Paris, scheduled to take place from July 26 to August 11.
Interestingly, this will be the athlete's first domestic campaign since the Federation Cup Senior Athletics Championships in March 2021. He secured the gold medal in the campaign with a throw of 87.8m.
Importantly, before the start of the Federation Cup 2024, Neeraj Chopra will be seen taking part in the Doha Diamond League 2024, scheduled to take place on May 10. Neeraj will be competing alongside his compatriot Kishore Jena in the competition.
Speaking ahead of the Doha Diamond League meet, the legendary Indian javelin thrower Neeraj has expressed his desire to defend his Olympic title and also to break the 90m barrier.
“This year, my personal goal is to defend my Olympic title, but it would also mean a lot to me to break the 90m barrier,” he was quoted as saying by the Diamond League website.
“When you wear the India jersey, the feeling is different” - Neeraj Chopra
Furthermore, Neeraj Chopra is excited to sport the Indian jersey and get back to the best possible shape before the start of the mega event in Paris. He also stressed the importance of the fitness and training sessions, which help him to give his best on the track.
“I want to be in best possible shape before Paris Olympics. My training sessions have gone off really well so far. I always lay stress on fitness along with strength and technique,” Neeraj told SAI Media recently.
"This is the best I have felt in a long time but I must add that training and competition are not the same. When you wear the India jersey, the feeling is different, the josh (energy) is unbelievable,” Neeraj went on to add.
