22 days to Tokyo Olympics 2020: Will Neeraj Chopra's solidity help him outshine Shivpal Singh?

The two emerging javelin throwers of the country – Neeraj Chopra and Shivpal Singh – have raised the expectations and hopes of all Indians. This time around, they are booting up for their first-ever medal at the track and field events during their showdown at the Tokyo Olympics 2020.

Neeraj and Shivpal's last encounter

Interestingly, despite being the top javelin throwers in the county, the duo have not faced each other in the last five years. Their last outing together was during the 2016 Indian Grand Prix, which was held at New Delhi's Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium.

Neeraj emerged victorious in that encounter with a throw of 79.54m. On the other hand, Shivpal managed to score 79.34m. The duo were again set to face each other at the 2018 Asian games. However, it did not pan out that way as Shivpal was forced to withdraw from the event due to an injury.

Meanwhile, Neeraj took the opportunity to further establish himself as India’s top medal contender at the Summer Games by taking home the gold medal. He even won a gold medal at the Commonwealth Games (CWG) 2018 and in the process became the first Indian to win a yellow metal in the javelin in CWG.

Neeraj Chopra and Shivpal Singh's Olympics qualification

Neeraj’s Olympics hopes were almost derailed after he suffered an elbow injury in 2019 and went under the knife, a year ahead of the Tokyo Games. The postponement of the Olympics was like a blessing in disguise for Neeraj as it gave him enough time to recover.

Neeraj returned from his injury with a bang and surprised everyone by throwing a record distance of 87.86m, surpassing the 85m Olympic cut-off mark, to qualify for the Summer Games at the Athletics Central North East league meeting in Potchefstroom, South Africa. Meanwhile, Shivpal also booked his flight to Tokyo alongside Neeraj by clearing a distance of 85.47m.

What make's Neeraj Chopra's performance important?

The constant improvement and consistency in Neeraj Chopra’s performance make his chances slightly higher of bringing home a medal. Neeraj has been in great form recently. Meanwhile, Shivpal has often flown under the radar in the shadow of his younger compatriot and he will enter the Olympics as a dark horse.

Looking at Shivpal's recent form, it is reasonable to say that he is not too far from ringing in the 90-meter mark at the Tokyo games. Shivpal, who has dealt with several injuries in the past, has been impeded several times from giving his best. Tokyo Olympic-bound Shivpal survived an injury scare which forced him to sit out the Federation Cup in early 2021.

COVID-19 outbreak, Tokyo Olympic-bound stars' preparations

The COVID 19 outbreak has been unfair to the athletes preparing for the Summer Games. Despite the adverse situation, they have been working diligently to prepare themselves for the mega event.

Shivpal prepares for Tokyo Olympics

Neeraj has been training and participating in several events across Europe. But Shivpal Singh and several other players have not managed to be a part of these practice sessions, due to the prevailing COVID-19 protocols and quarantine rules. Despite all the setbacks, Shivpal is currently focusing on his core strengths and training hard to keep himself fit ahead of the Summer Olympics.

Olympic-bound javelin thrower Neeraj has bagged a bronze medal at the recently held Kuortane Games in Finland, with an 86.79m throw at the competition.

Although Neeraj did not win gold in Finland, this was the best performance on his European tour so far. This distance, however, was short of his personal best of 88.07m, a performance through which he rewrote his national record during the Indian Grand Prix 3 held in Patiala in March 2021.