Tejaswin Shankar made an interesting observation about Neeraj Chopra. He said that had it been anyone else, they would probably have quit international sport and moved on, unable to survive the intense scrutiny that Neeraj constantly lives under. He is right.
For someone to return from injury, win a silver medal with a throw of over 85 metres and still be told it is not good enough is an impossible situation to be in. We have placed unreasonable expectations on Neeraj. Nothing but gold will do, and we say this without fully understanding what his body has been through.
Neeraj’s Instagram post is instructive. It shines a light on the incredibly difficult 10 months he has endured. Even the very best experience self-doubt, and Neeraj is no exception. By his own admission, he was unsure whether he would even compete this year or have a season worth talking about. However talented you are, that is an immensely difficult place to be.
I remember Sachin Tendulkar once telling me that during his battle with tennis elbow, he wondered whether he would ever play a proper cricket shot again. Full-blooded drives would barely travel a few metres, leaving him deeply shaken and frustrated. Sachin overcame that phase and returned to his best. Neeraj has done the same, and that is what defines him as an athlete.
He could easily have returned to India after the Games, attended felicitations, met ministers and posed for hundreds of selfies. In the process, he could have earned crores through public appearances. Instead, he headed straight back to training and has now entered the Diamond League meeting in Lausanne. He will not return to India before the Asian Games, choosing instead to join the contingent directly in Japan. Every day until then will be dedicated to training and rediscovering his very best.
It is this relentless pursuit of excellence that defines Neeraj. Despite the anxiety and self-doubt, he has never abandoned that pursuit. He has never looked for shortcuts and has never compromised on training.
In a country starved of champions, Neeraj is a breath of fresh air. It is only natural that we expect superhuman feats from him. He, too, has come to terms with those expectations. He knows people back home assume he cannot finish anywhere other than the top step of the podium, without truly appreciating how difficult the past year has been. That is why his Instagram post mattered. It gave people much-needed context about what he has been through.
Despite all the trials and tribulations, his demeanour in Glasgow never changed. He remained as polite and gracious as ever, never refusing a selfie or an autograph and continuing to inspire fellow athletes. To conceal your own anxieties while carrying yourself as though nothing is wrong is never easy. Neeraj does it every single day.
We need to understand what it takes to be Neeraj Chopra before passing judgement. I am glad he shared that Instagram post. People need to know that, despite everything he has achieved, he is human too.
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