New Delhi [India], September 18 : After superstar javelin thrower and Olympic gold medalist Neeraj Chopra failed in his title defence at the ongoing World Athletics Championships, the Paralympic Committee of India (PCI) president Devendra Jhajaria, a former para-javelin athlete himself, backed Neeraj to come good and win a gold soon, saying that a "player never looses, he always learns".
Indian Olympic gold medallist Neeraj's title defence at the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 2025 was unsuccessful, as he finished in eighth spot after what was an extremely underwhelming night for him, ending a streak of 26 top-two finishes in javelin throw events.
Meanwhile, Sachin Yadav, his compatriot, had a much better showing, finishing fourth in the competition.
The world javelin title went to Trinidad and Tobago's Keshorn Walcott, who managed the best throw of 88.16 m, marking his first World Championship gold 13 years after his Olympic triumph in London. At the second spot was Anderson Peters, the 2024 Olympics bronze medallist with a best throw of 87.38 m, followed by America's Curtis Thompson with a throw of 86.67 m.
Speaking to the media, Devendra said, "A player never loses; he always learns. Neeraj is one of our best athletes. If you miss out on a medal, it doesn't mean your performance is down. Many factors contribute to elimination, such as training and sleep. Neeraj has given two medals to the country. He opened India's medal tally in the Olympics. He has created history in every way. He will come back 100 per cent and win a Gold medal soon."
Fans could not get the best of the India-Pakistan rivalry between Neeraj and Arshad Nadeem, as Neeraj finished eighth with a best throw of 84.03 m, while the Olympic champion Nadeem ended at tenth with an 82.73 m throw as his best.
In the first round, Julian Weber kick-started the proceedings with a throw of 83.63. Neeraj Chopra, the defending champion, started his defence with a throw of 83.65 m, while his arch-rival and Pakistan's Olympic champion, Arshad Nadeem, started with a throw of 82.73 m. However, Curtis Thompson took a lead with 86.67 m. For India, a young Sachin Yadav showed off with a fine throw of 86.27 m, outdoing Neeraj. At the end of the fifth round, Thompson was in the lead, followed by Sachin, Anderson Peters, at 84.59 m, and Sri Lanka's Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage, in fourth with 84.38 m. Neeraj was in the fifth spot.
In the second round, Weber did much better with a throw of 86.11 m, but Anderson's 87.38 m became a new benchmark to be overcome as he took the lead. Neeraj's second throw was 84.03 m. Sachin's second throw turned out to be a foul; however, he managed to stay at fourth spot behind Keshorn Walcott, who took a lead in round 2 with a throw of 87.83 m, and Peters and Thompson. Neeraj was way behind in the seventh spot, still searching for that monster throw. Nadeem was in the ninth spot. It was an unusual situation for Neeraj at the end of the second round, who often occupied the podium right from the start.
Starting the third round, Weber fouled, while Peters managed just 82.83 m. Nadeem's javelin covered a distance of 82.75 m, while Neeraj fouled out. However, Julius Yego, who had won the world title way back in 2015, had to leave because of a groin injury. Sachin threw another 85-plus throw, touching 85.71 m. At the end of round three, Neeraj was in the eighth spot, while Sachin was in fourth, below Keshron, Peters and Thompson.
Nadeem started the fourth round with a foul; he could not improve on his best throw and ended his campaign at the 10th spot. Neeraj's struggles continued as he threw 82.66. Sachin's fourth throw was 84.90 m, keeping him in fourth place only. Keshorn extended his lead with a massive throw of 88.16 m. At the end of the fourth round, Keshorn, Peters and Thompson held the top three spots
In the fifth round, Neeraj was finally out, as he could not improve on his best finish, finishing in eighth spot. India's hopes of medals rested on Sachin, who managed 85.96 m on his fifth attempt and stayed in the hunt at fourth spot. In the final round, Sachin managed a throw of 80.95, finishing in fourth place.