Army’s promising javelin thrower DP Manu gets sponsors to chalk out fresh plans for 2023 World Athletics Championships

Due to inadequate funds, Army’s 22-year-old international javelin thrower DP Manu wasn’t able to chalk out his own program for international exposure in 2022, according to Army coach Kashinath Naik.

Naik, a former international thrower and Commonwealth Games medalist, is the Army’s athletics coach based in Pune and specializes in javelin.

However, financial hardship might not be a constraint next year for one of his brightest students as DP Manu has been shortlisted for TOPS (Target Olympic Podium Scheme). He will thus be eligible for a monthly scholarship under the scheme. Athletes under the TOPS also get financial support to practice abroad.

India’s Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra and Commonwealth Games medalist Annu Rani's off-season tours to England and Germany have been approved by TOPS. Chopra has been training in Loughborough for 63 days since November, while Annu will practice in Offenburg for a month.

“Being eligible for TOPS is a good thing to happen as we badly need funds to travel abroad for practice and competitions,” the Army athletics coach told Sportskeeda over the phone from Pune.

Manu’s season and personal best in 2022 was the 84.35m recorded in June at a domestic meet in Chennai. The Army javelin thrower has participated in nine competitions this year, including eight domestic meets. While he finished fifth at the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games with a throw of 82.28m in August, he claimed the title with a throw of 81.29m at the season-ending National Open Athletics Championships in October.

According to Naik, Manu will not face a financial crunch for practice on foreign soil from next year as they have support from the government as well as private sponsors.

“Adequate funds will enable us to chalk out our own path to train and compete in Europe and other parts of the globe to prepare for the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Hungary,” the Army athletics coach explained. “Since we practice outside the national camp, we have to manage training and competition program on our own.”

Manu was among several elite throwers shortlisted for the four-month long national camp that got underway from November 23 in Patiala, but the army javelin thrower opted out as he preferred to practice at the Army campus in Pune. The national camp will continue until March 31, 2023.

The weather in Pune is good in winters, said Naik, but it gets warm in February and March.

“Next year from March to May, we might plan to shift to a different venue for practice. Or go to Europe for practice and competition,” Naik added. “We will try to compete in one or two international events before the Asian Athletics Championships in July in Thailand.”