'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Ace Indian javelin thrower and India’s Tokyo Olympic gold medalist Neeraj Chopra will begin his training at the Kuortane Olympic Training Centre in Finland on May 2 7.
Neeraj Chopra trained at the same venue in the run-up to the Olympics last year before pulling out of a couple of Diamond League events.
The javelin thrower is currently training at the Gloria Sports Arena in Antalya, Turkey.
The Kuortane Olympic Training Centre offers Olympic-level indoor and outdoor facilities for athletes. It is currently also the training base for Paralympics gold medalist Devendra Jhajharia.
Read: Neeraj aims for gold medals in all major upcoming events of 2022
From Kuortane, Neeraj will head out to Turku to participate in the Paavo Nurmi Games, followed by the Kuortane Games and the Diamond League in Stockholm.
The four-week training camp has been sanctioned by the government’s Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) and will cost the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (MYAS) approximately ₹9.8 lakhs.
The finances will be used towards the expenditures of Neeraj Chopra and his coach Klaus Bartonietz, which include travel, accommodation, training, local travel, and daily out-of-pocket allowance.
The Sports Authority of India (SAI) has also reached out to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) to ensure that Neeraj and his team do not face any issues during their stay in Finland. The MEA, in their response, has assured SAI that the Indian Embassy in Helsinki will be available for any assistance, if required.
Neeraj Chopra aims to breach 90m mark
The ace javelin thrower is keen on breaching the 90m mark this season. He has been hovering around the 90m-mark. However, conquering the distance has eluded him so far.
In the past, Neeraj had stated that he doesn't want to obsess about numbers. However, he does believe that breaching the 90m mark would cement his place among the best throwers in the world.
Meanwhile, Neeraj's coach Klaus Bartonietz has also been given a contract extension until the 2024 Paris Olympics.
