Neeraj Chopra's gold at Tokyo Olympics made javelin throw popular in India, says Olympic-bound teammate Kishore Jena

Olympic-bound javelin thrower Kishore Jena has credited his fellow track and field teammate Neeraj Chopra for playing a significant role in increasing the popularity of javelin throw in India. During a recent interaction with the Sports Authority of India (SAI), Jena said it was Chopra winning the coveted gold medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics that led to the rise in the following of the sport.

"Neeraj bhai's gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics is where the rise in popularity of javelin throw started. It's great for us Indian athletes that we have been performing well on the world stage. We are now getting good facilities which shall help us keep doing well," Jana told SAI (at 1:00).

Speaking further on his preparation for the upcoming Paris Olympics, the 28-year-old appeared optimistic and credited his recent training sessions for feeling good ahead of the all-important games.

"We have qualified since the Asian Games so the preparation have been going well. The recent training session went really well compared to the earlier ones as I have reduced some load." he added.

Kishore Jena: Training is the primary reason behind my good performances in recent past

The athlete from Odhisha has been on a memorable run with some great performances to show in recent years. With a personal record of 84.54m, Kishore Jana clinched the silver medal at the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou. He also recorded a silver medal finish at the National Championships in 2023 that were held in Bhubaneshwar.

Elaborating on his performances, Jana expressed gratitude toward the training facilities and credited them for his improvement while thanking those who supported him in his journey.

"I expect to perform to the best of my abilities at the Olympics. The main reason behind good performances in the recent past is training. On the back of training, slowly and gradually my performances got better. SAI, Reliance Foundation and the Odisha government has also supported me fully." Jena said in the same interview.

Kishore Jena will be part of the 30-member athletics contingent, led by Neeraj Chopra, that will be competing for India at the Paris Olympics 2024.