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In a lively pre-competition press conference hosted by Diamond League, India's javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra can be seen talking about his long hair, why it is not good, and why it turns out to be a bit difficult for a javelin thrower.
Notably, Neeraj Chopra is set to begin his 2024 season at the Doha Diamond League on May 10, Friday, as he aims to defend his Tokyo Olympics 2020 title at the upcoming Paris Olympics 2024.
“Long hair is not good, but it's like a hobby now. Without a bandana or a cap, it's difficult to see the foul line,” Neeraj Chopra told reporters.
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Neeraj Chopra wants his actions to do the talking
Interestingly, Neeraj opened his 2023 season as well in Doha, securing a win in last year’s meet, covering a distance of 88.67m with Jakub Vadlejch, losing the top spot to the Indiana athlete by just 0.04m.
However, Vadlejch went on to win the Diamond League crown in 2023, defeating Neeraj in the final held in Eugene. In this year’s Doha meet, Neeraj doesn’t want to say anything about his target but would like to demonstrate his capabilities, letting his actions do the talking.
"Last year I said I wanted to throw 90m, but I threw 88m. This time, I am not going to say anything, I would like to show,” Neeraj added.
Alongside Vadlejch, Neeraj Chopra will also be challenged by Grenada’s former world champion Anderson Peters, who has been in good form.
It’s important to note that the Diamond League is an annual series of top-tier track and field competitions conducted by World Athletics.
The Doha meet is the third leg of the Diamond League 2024 series after the successful completion of two legs in Xiamen and Shanghai in the People’s Republic of China. The javelin throw wasn’t part of the earlier two legs in China.
Chopra will have his fellow compatriot Kishore Jena on his side at the Diamond League in Doha. After the completion of the Doha meet, the duo will move to India for the Federation Cup 2024 in Odisha.
