Hopefully, I'll breach the 90-meter-mark in 2023 as preparations are on right track: Neeraj Chopra

New Delhi, Jan 7: Star India javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra on Saturday (January 7) is confident about breaching the 90-meter mark in the year 2023 and has set his sights on the upcoming World Athletics Championships, Asian Games and Diamond League.

In a virtual interaction with media persons from England - where he has been training for quite some time - the Tokyo Olympics gold-medal winner said his practice and preparations are on the right track.

The 25-year-old had a stellar 2022 where he bagged a silver in the world championship in Eugene, USA, and then became the first Indian to win the Diamond League final title to further improve his stature in world athletics.

The golden boy from India has put Indian athletics on the global stage with his consistent performances on big stages and the Haryana athlete is in no mood to slow down any soon.

"Obviously, my focus this year will be on the World Athletics Championships 2023 (in Budapest), then Asian Games in China, followed by Diamond League," Neeraj said when asked about his plans for the year 2023.

The javelin star - who has made the sport popular amongst youth with his consistent performances - claimed that he's aiming to touch the 90-meter-mark this year but such things don't bother him. He came tantalisingly close to breaching it last year, only to miss by a whisker.

"I am working hard on touching the 90m mark. I could have achieved it last year itself when I touched 89.09m in Lausanne and 89.94m in Stockholm Diamond League, had I extended my landing foot a few centimetres ahead. It's a game of very small margins you see, I could have touched it last year itself.

"Preparations are going well and hopefully, this year I'll achieve it. I am working on my throw," Neeraj said.

Speaking more about the 90-meter mark, Chopra said that sometimes it is tagged with greatness but he doesn't believe so.

"Sometimes it is considered as a benchmark and you are considered great only if you have crossed this barrier, some javelin athletes take pride in it well. But it doesn't bother me. But maybe it is destined to happen at some different venue and it will happen, that I am pretty sure of," he added further.

Speaking further about the importance this year holds in his career, keeping the 2024 Paris Olympics in mind, Neeraj claimed, "It is a very crucial year from a preparations point of view in the run-up to Paris 2024. I am working under the guidance of my coach (Klaus Bartonietz who will be his coach till Paris 2024) to get better. I am working on the combination to improve my strength, speed and flexibility."

When asked what he likes to have on his cheat days, Chopra said, "You see options for cheat diet more in India but in the UK we don't get that many options here. So if I have a craving to eat something then I have ice cream. But there are good Indian restaurants here in the UK, so we go out for food and enjoy Indian meals and treat our Indian taste buds."

Asked how he keeps himself calm and composed and copes under the expectations of millions of Indians, he said, "When I am on the field, all I think about is giving my best and I stay in the zone. I don't think much about others' expectations. Nowadays people are also realising that the ups and downs are a part of an athlete's life. So, things are changing for the better."

As the Premier League season is back in the UK, the javelin athlete is also planning to watch a game from the stadium but hasn't fixed any specific date for it. He, however, watched the FIFA World Cup 2022 final and felt happy about Lionel Messi winning the elusive trophy.

"I am definitely planning to watch a Premier League match in England but haven't decided on a date. I did watch the FIFA WC 2022 final and was rooting for Argentina as it was Messi's last world cup. Had the same feeling for Ronaldo but it wasn't on the expected lines," he signed off.