Chandigarh, March 13 (IANS) Rising javelin throw star Kishore Kumar Jena, who will start his outdoor season from the Diamond League in Doha in May, has said that he “doesn’t see Neeraj Chopra as a rival”.
The Summer Olympic Games are just a little more than 130 days away and Jena is working hard towards making it a memorable outing for the country along with Olympic and world champion Neeraj Chopra. Jena, who is currently training at the National Institute of Sports (NIS) in Patiala, said, “India can win more than one javelin medal in Paris”.
Jena has been making headlines ever since he went toe-to-toe with Neeraj Chopra at the world athletics meet in Budapest last year. For the first time in the history of the Asian Games, Chopra and Kishore Kumar Jena made it a javelin one-two in Hangzhou 2023. Having qualified for Paris, Jena feels medal prospects in javelin are not only limited to Chopra.
“As per rule, three players can compete from one country in javelin throw. That increases the probability of winning more medals in Paris. We are all training hard for the Summer Games and if we can stay consistent and injury-free, India can do better than Tokyo,” Jena said to Sports Authority of India (SAI).
“My season has started on a good note as compared to last year. I believe 2024 will be a great season for me. Practice is going well and I am getting support from every quarter be it Sports Authority of India (SAI), TOPS (Target Olympic Podium Scheme) or Athletics Federation of India (AFI). I am sure my performance will be better as I will give it my 100 percent, rest is on the almighty and what happens on that particular day,” he added.
Jena, who comes from a farming family in Odisha’s Puri district, went for an exposure trip to Gold Coast in Australia last month where he was accompanied by long-time coach Samarjeet Singh Malhi. He did different kinds of weight training to improve his core and shoulder strength.
Asked about the target he wants to achieve in the Doha event and about his competitor Neeraj Chopra, Jena said, “I haven’t thought of it (90 metres) till now. I aim to keep improving my results and overcome my weaknesses. I keep taking suggestions from Neeraj. I don’t see him as my competitor. Whenever I encounter some problem I take his advice as he is one of the nicest human beings I have ever come across. He doesn’t hold back when it comes to offering the right tips.”
During the Hangzhou Asian Games, there was a minor scare for Chopra as his first ‘good’ throw was not considered by officials. Later, Jena posted his personal best of 87.54m to push Chopra to give his all. The Olympic champion finally came up with a monster throw of 88.88m to defend his gold medal. Jena settled for silver and more importantly, met the qualifying mark for Paris 2024.
“At that time I was happy that I had qualified for Paris 2024. I went up to him (Chopra) and even told him that I had qualified. He boosted my confidence saying I can post a bigger throw. Like everyone, my aim is to win a medal but that is not entirely under my control and I will go for my personal best at my maiden Olympics,” Jena signed off.
–IANS
hs/
Disclaimer
The information contained in this website is for general information purposes only. The information is provided by BhaskarLive.in and while we endeavour to keep the information up to date and correct, we make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability with respect to the website or the information, products, services, or related graphics contained on the website for any purpose. Any reliance you place on such information is therefore strictly at your own risk.
In no event will we be liable for any loss or damage including without limitation, indirect or consequential loss or damage, or any loss or damage whatsoever arising from loss of data or profits arising out of, or in connection with, the use of this website.
Through this website you are able to link to other websites which are not under the control of BhaskarLive.in We have no control over the nature, content and availability of those sites. The inclusion of any links does not necessarily imply a recommendation or endorse the views expressed within them.
Every effort is made to keep the website up and running smoothly. However, BhaskarLive.in takes no responsibility for, and will not be liable for, the website being temporarily unavailable due to technical issues beyond our control.
For any legal details or query please visit original source link given with news or click on Go to Source.
Our translation service aims to offer the most accurate translation possible and we rarely experience any issues with news post. However, as the translation is carried out by third part tool there is a possibility for error to cause the occasional inaccuracy. We therefore require you to accept this disclaimer before confirming any translation news with us.
If you are not willing to accept this disclaimer then we recommend reading news post in its original language.
