Neeraj now trying to master art of coocking!
Speaking at a fireside chat with Duolingo English Test takers, the two-time Olympic and World Championship medallist Neeraj Chopra spoke about the life skills he developed after moving away from home, starting with learning how to cook. “Cooking is a basic need, especially for athletes who need to eat right. So I started with Namkeen Chawal and slowly learned how to make dal, vegetables, rice and roti,” Neeraj said. Neeraj Chopra was only 13 years old when he left home to pursue his javelin dream. Within years, he was spending months in a country far away. And as he began to live the monk-ish life of an athlete, Neeraj also took a slice of home with him by learning some of his favourite recipes. As the years passed, he slowly began to perfect the art of cooking. And it started with his favourite dish — the Haryanvi speciality, namkeen chawal, somewhat similar to a vegetarian biryani. Neeraj was addressing a group of students and he advised them to stay patient. “When you learn to manage on your own, you are ready for bigger challenges,” he said, encouraging students to take pride in becoming independent.” Neeraj said, In the early years it was tough to ‘train twice a day and cook three times’. Gradually, he found the right balance. “As an athlete, our relationship with diet is quite deep. We have to take care of our nutrition and cook as well. So I learnt to cook different things from the beginning. Like dal, roti, rice… But my favourite thing to cook is something that we in Haryana call ‘Namkeen Chawal’. You can call it veg biryani. And also raita and salad to accompany it. I used to cook it really well and I pour desi ghee on it. It tasted amazing. That was the first thing I learnt to cook. “After that, I learnt many other things. It was quite tough in the beginning because I used to train twice a day and cook three times a day. The journey is tough but if you learn to manage everything, then things do get done.” He added
Neeraj Chopra claims Jasprit Bumrah could be a perfect fit for javelin throw!
In an interview with former Indian cricketer Navjot Singh Sidhu during a segment on Star Sports ace javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra mentioned Jasprit Bumrah could have been a perfect javelin thrower if he was in the field. Neeraj, citing one of the reasons behind his explanation said that running speed is a key essential in javelin throw and Bumrah could have been the ideal for the sport. “I feel it will be fast bowler only. I want to see Jasprit Bumrah in his prime, with proper fitness, try out javelin throw,” he said. Chopra began his 2025 campaign with an invitational meet in Potchefstroom. He bagged gold with an 84.52m throw and showed good form. Then he was next in action at the Diamond League in Doha and surpassed the elusive 90m mark, but had to settle for silver. Having reclaimed the top spot in the javelin throw world rankings, Neeraj Chopra will be back in action at the upcoming inaugural NC Classic, scheduled to be held in Bengaluru on 5th July.
Neeraj says he needs to work on core muscles to make body stronger
Neeraj Chopra said he will need to work harder on his core muscles and make his body stronger to consistently log 90-plus distances in international competitions. Core muscles of the body play an extremely vital role in generating power in a sport like javelin throw. Chopra, the two-time Olympic medalist, clinched his first Diamond League title in two years on Friday with a throw of 88.16m but fell short of his personal best throw of 90.23m registered at the Doha Diamond League earlier this year. The 27-year-old javelin thrower explained, opining after winning the title in a star-studded field that had five throwers from the coveted 90m club on Friday, “Yes, I need some more control when I throw, like on the attack. We are working on it in training, but still, there are so many things we have to change, and I need maybe a stronger core and stronger body for throwing.” “It’s just a matter of time and rhythm to get more and more competition.” The ace athlete said he was happy with his run-up, but when it comes to the timing of the throw, he needs to put in some more effort. “…like timing, because I feel really good (in the) run-up, but the timing was not so good when I threw (the javelin). I quickly go left, and it is not good. I need to throw to the front, like with the chest, and go up with the javelin. We are working on it,” Chopra continued. Chopra, who is currently being coached by the legendary javelin thrower Jan Zelezný, said he was looking forward to the Ostrava Golden Spike athletics meet on 24th June, and the four days in between will give him time to recover.
