On Wednesday evening, Neeraj Chopra went for a jog on the grass field next to the athletic track at the National Institute of Sport (NIS) in Patiala. It might not seem like much but it was the first time after over two months of being stuck in his hostel room that Chopra, the former junior world champion and the reigning Commonwealth and Asian Games gold medallist in the javelin throw, was able to get some outdoor training. "It was a nice feeling to step on the grass. We did some running and light exercise. It was the first day, so I did not push myself," said the 21-year-old.
It was a long-awaited practice session. While India officially began a nationwide lockdown on March 25 in a bid to curb the spread of Covid-19, athletes at NIS had been requesting the Sports Ministry to allow them to resume training even with restrictions at the largely-isolated facility. The long delay in receiving permission to do so was frustrating for several athletes, but not for Chopra. "It wasn't a problem for me. I stayed in my hostel room, played online games, listened to music and watched movies. I was pretty relaxed," he says.
It helped, he says, that he had experience dealing with this situation. "I learned a lot in how to deal with these things last year. I got plenty of experience in having to stay away from the field," he says. Chopra is referring to his 16-month-long enforced break from the sport after he suffered an elbow injury on his throwing arm that he subsequently underwent surgery for. "I really struggled back then. I kept wondering when I would be able to return. In this situation, at least I knew I could start throwing whenever the lockdown ended. It wasn't an issue with my body," he says.
What also contributed was the fact that following his recovery from the injury, Chopra was able to take part in a single competition - the ACNE League meeting in Potchefstroom, South Africa, in January this year. There he managed to record a throw of 87.86m, beyond the 85m mark required to qualify for the Olympics.
Neeraj Chopra on qualifying for the Olympics, recovery from injury and goals for Tokyo 2020
"I think the fact that I qualified for the Olympics was really important in helping me avoid a lot of frustration that some other athletes are facing. If I had been forced to stay in the lockdown without playing that tournament, I would have started having negative thoughts. Even though I had recovered from my injury, I'd never have known if I actually had the ability to throw that far. Now, I already know that I'm capable of throwing at least that much. So it's only a matter of waiting," he says.
It's fortunate that Chopra did participate in Potchefstroom. "On one hand, it was a little strange because after spending so much time away from the game, I was really looking forward to taking part in the big competitions with a lot of spectators and media. But I only got a chance to take part in that one small tournament with five participants," he says. "It was a completely last-minute decision. My coach Klaus Bartonietz thought I should take part. Mood ban gaya ki khelna hai (I made up my mind to play there). I'm really grateful for it. Otherwise the plan was to come to India and try and qualify in the (eventually cancelled) Federation Cup. Now, I think it was just luck that I took part," he says.
It's also luck that Chopra was even able to return to India. After training in South Africa, Chopra shifted base to Turkey and only flew back to India just hours before the government shut all international travel on March 14. "Even in March, when I was in Turkey, most people weren't taking the Coronavirus situation very seriously. It was only by luck that my physio Ishan (Marwaha) saw a news item that said the Indian government was shutting international travel. We made the decision to come back almost immediately and got back just before the air travel stopped," he says.
"I really struggled (during injury layoff). In this situation, at least I knew I could start throwing whenever the lockdown ended. It wasn't an issue with my body." Neeraj Chopra
Inactive for the most part since he returned, Chopra is looking to make up for lost time now that he has resumed training. "Initially when I got back from Turkey and completed my 14-day quarantine in NIS, I was allowed to use an old gym near the hostel. But after a few days, even that was stopped. I've not done any weight training since then. So before I start throwing the javelin, I'll have to get back some of the fitness level," he says.
With almost a year and two months until the Olympics are held, Chopra says he will have time to prepare better than if the Olympics been held as scheduled in July this year. "One problem that I have been having is that my throws have a habit of travelling to one side of the field. This is an issue because it reduces the distance they travel and also has the risk of being a foul attempt. This is a very specific area I'd like to work on," he says.
While the extended break means he will have to start from a very basic level of fitness, Chopra isn't too worried. "A lot of athletes were getting frustrated because when you are on Instagram, you see athletes around the world doing some training. I was watching the German throwers like Johannes Vetter and Thomas Rohler. They were lifting these really heavy weights and I wasn't even able to use the gym.
It's easy to get worried but you have to be positive. Yes they are training well but you can't say how good they will be by measuring the weight they are lifting. Throw se hi naap sakte hain (you can only measure by seeing their throws). Hopefully by the time the big events start, I'll be able to make some big throws," he says.