Neeraj Chopra, the reigning world javelin champion and Olympic silver medalist, reflects on the pressures of being a prominent athlete in India as he prepares for the upcoming 2025 athletics season. He recently faced backlash on social media over his actions related to the Neeraj Chopra Classic javelin event. Despite these challenges, Chopra finds pride in his ability to win medals for India and indicates that his training abroad helps mitigate some mental pressures. He emphasizes the difficulties of meeting public expectations and the burden of his public image, particularly with sponsorships.
"The ability to win medals for my country is a matter of great pride for me and, to some extent, it takes care of some of the pressure."
"I mostly train outside India, sometimes in South Africa during off-season and in Europe during the competition season."
"When I go back to India, I have to live up to my public image and act in a certain way, especially for sponsorship deals, and I don't enjoy it very much."
"Initially, after my success at the Tokyo Games, it was difficult but with time and the help of some of the experienced athletes, I have learned to deal with it."
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