Neeraj Chopra: Olympic Champ Reveals Favourite Movies and Pre-Javelin Throw Playlist

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India's Olympic champion, Neeraj Chopra, has consistently excelled in javelin throw across various competitions, yet the star athlete believes he has not yet reached his peak.

The Tokyo Olympics gold medallist recently gave a peek at his life, interests, and aspirations on JioCinema's 'Get Set Gold,' hosted by former India cricketer Dinesh Karthik.

In this engaging session, Chopra demonstrated the fundamentals of javelin throwing and opened up about his hobbies, favourite movies, and pre-competition music preferences.

Neeraj Chopra's favourite pastime

Chopra, the 2023 World Champion, discussed his diverse hobbies, including a past inclination towards shopping that led to a memorable experience in Germany. The Haryana athlete also revealed his favourite movies and songs he likes to listen to before stepping into the arena.

"I have many hobbies. I like hanging out with my friends. I also liked shopping a lot, but now I shop less because it feels like a waste of money. We can spend that money elsewhere.

"I like collecting unique things. I once went past a shop in Germany that had unique art pieces. I liked a statue of a warrior sitting on a horse, throwing a spear, more like throwing a javelin, so I bought it without even thinking. It was of 20kgs. Later, I thought, 'How will I take it to India?' Finally, a brother of mine managed it."

Favourite Movies Of Neeraj Chopra

During the COVID-19 lockdown, Chopra turned to classic Hollywood films for entertainment. "During the lockdown, I watched movies with the best IMDb ratings. So, there was The Shawshank Redemption, Forrest Gump, Cast Away, A Beautiful Mind, and The Pianist. I recently watched a movie, Society of the Snow. I would like to tell everyone to watch it. It makes me feel like our lives are much better."

Neeraj Chopra's love towards music

After recovering from a workout inspired by Chopra, Karthik also learned about the kind of music that fuels the athlete's competitive spirit. "I don't have a favourite playlist but during events, I mostly listen to loud music, like Imagine Dragons. Once I was competing in the Asian Games and I listened to Shiv Tandav, it gave me goosebumps. I like (adrenaline-pumping music) because normally, I'm fine, but when I compete, I get very aggressive."

Neeraj Chopra is not content with his performance

Reflecting on his illustrious career, Chopra shared that his throw at the World Under-20 Championships in 2016 remains the only one he is truly satisfied with. "To date, I am only satisfied with one throw of mine, which was 86.48 m in the World Under-20 Championships 2016. That was one throw where I felt it was a special, unique one, but I have not been satisfied with any throw since. I feel I haven't got to my peak yet; I have won gold and won a lot of competitions, but I still believe I have not reached my best and I am not satisfied with my throw yet."

Chopra's achievements are a testament to his dedication and skill. He is the reigning Olympic (Tokyo 2020) and World Champion (Budapest 2023), with a silver medal from the 2022 World Championships in Eugene. Additionally, he has secured gold medals at the Asian Games twice (2018 Jakarta, 2022 Hangzhou) and at the 2018 Commonwealth Games (Gold Coast).

Neeraj Chopra's journey and his continuous pursuit of improvement are an inspiration to many. His story exemplifies the relentless drive for perfection as he prepares to represent India at the forthcoming Paris 2024.