Neeraj turned India’s second particular person Olympic gold medalist, following Abhinav Bindra’s 2008 Beijing Video games victory, when he secured the highest honors with a throw of 87.58m on the Tokyo Olympics.
This achievement made him the primary Indian to win an Olympic athletics gold and the primary athletics medallist in Summer season Video games since independence.
Can India’s golden boy Neeraj defend his males’s javelin title this time?
India’s lengthy jumper Murali Sreeshankar, an Asian Video games silver medalist, is assured that Neeraj will excel in Paris.
“Neeraj is a robust medal contender. Not only a medal contender, he’s going to defend his Olympic title,” Sreeshankar advised TimesofIndia.com in an interview.
“There have been actually good performances from different athletes like Avinash Sable, the relay staff, lengthy jumpers, and we are able to anticipate shock from the triple leap as properly. It’s not a sure-shot shock, but when issues go properly, these occasions may assist us get some good surprises from Paris,” stated Sreeshankar, an Olympics professional with JioCinema & Sports activities18.
Sreeshankar certified for the Paris Olympics by leaping 8.37m to win a silver medal on the 2023 Asian Athletic Championships, however a knee harm dominated him out of the worldwide occasion.
India received seven medals in Tokyo—one every in athletics, badminton, boxing, hockey, and weightlifting, and two in wrestling.
Will India surpass their Tokyo document of seven medals this time?
Sreeshankar is assured that India will obtain a double-digit tally this time round.
“That’s what we’re all eagerly wanting ahead to. The best way the marketing campaign has begun for India, I’m positive that we may positively anticipate a double-digit tally. Taking pictures has been doing extremely properly, with Manu beginning off the marketing campaign, Swapnil profitable one other medal in capturing, and Arjun coming agonizingly near a medal,” Sreeshankar advised TimesofIndia.com.
“This can give good confidence to India’s shooters and archers. These disciplines ought to present us with a few medals to attain that double-digit mark. It’s not simply capturing and archery we are able to depend upon; there are different vital occasions developing for us. In hockey, we need to change the colour of the medal. Plenty of thrilling occasions are developing. Fingers crossed that with all of the prayers of Indian supporters, the staff’s efficiency will probably be actually good for us,” he stated.
