Neeraj Chopra’s gold at Tokyo 2020 removed huge mental block from Indian athletes’ psyche: AFI chief Adille Sumariwalla

Athletics Federation of India (AFI) President Adille Sumariwalla on Wednesday said that Neeraj Chopra’s gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics has the potential to change the landscape of track and field in India forever. Neeraj won the gold in javelin throw at Tokyo 2020, thereby becoming the first Indian ever to win a medal of any colour in athletics since Independence. His gold is also the second individual gold medal won by an Indian at the Olympics after Abhinav Bindra at Beijing in 2008. “Since we had not won a medal in athletics, the whole pressure on our athletes was mental. The thought process was we have done everything but still we cannot win a medal,” AFI chief Sumariwalla told journalists in a virtual press conference on Wednesday. “But with Neeraj’s medal at Tokyo — he’s won the Junior World Championships gold with a junior world record; the Asian Games and Commonwealth Games gold; and now winning the Olympic Games— he’s shown the way. “Youngsters, like the ones that won the mixed relay bronze medal at the U20 Worlds, would always wonder if they’re missing something that other countries have. They now have the self-confidence, thanks to Neeraj’s medal. He is just like every other Indian athlete, and if he can win a medal, so can everybody else. That’s removed a huge mental block from our Indian athletes. I believe this is just the beginning of many things to happen. The whole landscape is set to change.” Barath Sridhar, who was part of India’s bronze medal winning mixed 4x400m relay team at the U20 World Championships at Nairobi, added: “Before Neeraj’s medal, we could tell that people thought that Indians cannot win in athletics. But after this medal, we got the power to show others that we can also win medals.” Besides Barath, the bronze medal winning team also had Priya Mohan, Summy and Kapil. The quartet timed 3:20.60s, which was enough to get them to third place. “I think what you’re seeing is the emergence of a new India. A confident India. I think Neeraj has done the trick. Our athletes now believe that all they need to do is run their best,” said Sumariwalla, pointing at Summy who was running in her first international competition, yet told journalists at the virtual press conference on Wednesday that she felt no pressure and was certain of winning a medal. “Getting an Olympic medal is the ultimate prize. But, that’s no flash in the pan. Today you got to see the depth of our runners,” said Sumariwalla pointing at the mixed relay team. “The juniors have clocked almost the same time as our seniors did at the Olympic Games in Tokyo.”