On a warm and humid evening at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar, Neeraj Chopra triumphed in the Federation Cup with an impressive throw of 82.27 meters, marking his successful return to competition in India as the Olympic champion.
Chopra’s performance indicated a cautious approach from the outset. Across four throws, three of which were valid, his distances ranged between 81 meters and 82 meters. Ultimately, his best throw surpassed DP Manu’s effort of 82.06 meters by 21 centimeters. Chopra’s series began with an 82-meter throw, slightly short of Manu’s initial attempt, followed by an unregistered mark in his second throw and a distance of 81.47 meters in his third. It was his fourth throw that secured him the victory, granting him the luxury of not needing to make his fifth and sixth attempts.
Throughout the event, Chopra was frequently seen engaged in discussions with his coach. He later explained that he adjusted his efforts due to the prevailing weather conditions and in consideration of his schedule leading up to the Paris Olympics.
For Manu, this competition held particular significance as he continues his pursuit of the elusive 85.50-meter mark required for Paris Olympics qualification. However, once again, he fell short. Another concern for the Indian contingent is the form of Kishore Kumar Jena, who has struggled to replicate his success from the previous year. Despite finishing strong in 2023 at the World Championships and Asian Games, Jena has yet to surpass 80 meters in competitive throws this year. In this event, he finished fifth with a best effort of 75.49 meters, trailing behind Uttam Patil of Maharashtra who secured the bronze medal with a distance of 78.39 meters.
Reflecting on his victory, Chopra noted that it wasn’t a night of his best throws but expressed his joy at being back competing in India. The Olympic champion is set to return to action in a few weeks at the Golden Spike event in Ostrava, Czechia.
