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I want to see more Indians doing well in top global events like Diamond League: Neeraj Chopra | More sports News – Times of India

I want to see more Indians doing well in top global events like Diamond League: Neeraj Chopra | More sports News - Times of India
LAUSANNE: Olympic champion javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra believes India is “gradually” making a mark at the global stage of track and field and foresees a bright future for the nation’s athletes in prestigious events like the Diamond League.
The 24-year-old Chopra, considered the trailblazer of Indian athletics’ unprecedented success in recent years, returned from an injury to become the first from the country to clinch title in a Diamond League meet by winning the Lausanne leg on Friday.
“I will be very happy to see more Indian athletes taking part in these competitions and I will be delighted to participate along with my fellow Indian athletes at a stage like this,” Chopra said after his historic feat.

Avinash Sable and Sreeshankar also participated in the Diamond League this year, so gradually our country is reaching this level and if we will perform better here, then it will help Indian athletics do well at bigger stages.”
Recently, long jumper Murali Sreeshankar and 3000m steeplechaser Avinash Sable participated in the Diamond League though they did not finish in top three. Sreeshankar had finished sixth in Monaco earlier this month while Sable ended fifth in Rabat, Morocco in June.
“This win is very important for our country. I feel we shouldn’t be only focusing on the events that happen after four or two years. Competitions like Diamond League Meet or Continental Tour are really good opportunities for athletes.
“It happens every year, and it gives us opportunities to do well. It really helps prepare well for the major tournaments because world-class athletes participate here. Performing well in these tournaments will also help Indian athletics,” said Chopra, who claimed the title with a first round throw of 89.08m — his third career-best effort.
His second throw measured 85.18m before a pass, foul, another pass and 80.04m in the final round. He pocketed $10,000 for the win.
“I don’t want to focus only on the Olympics, Commonwealth Games, Asian Games and World Championships because winning a Diamond League Trophy is also a big achievement for an athlete,” he said.
Before Chopra, discus thrower Vikas Gowda is the only Indian to have finished in top-three in a Diamond League Meet. Gowda had finished second twice — in New York in 2012 and in Doha in 2014 — and third on two occasions — Shanghai and Eugene in 2015.
Chopra had pulled out of the Birmingham Commonwealth Games due to a “minor” groin injury he had suffered while winning a silver during the World Championships last month. But it looked like the injury had not happened at all as he continued his vintage form.
He said he thought his season was over due to the injury but he recovered quickly after one-month rehabilitation in Germany.
“I had to skip Commonwealth Games due to groin injury, and I felt that I will have to end the season. But there wasn’t much pain, so I had the belief that I will recover before the tournament.
“I made some good throws in the training and was feeling well, hence we made the decision to compete here. I did my rehab in Germany with my coach … it went really well. I had very limited time to prepare but the proper planning in rehab helped me recover quickly,” the athlete from Khandra near Panipat said.
Chopra qualified for the Diamond League Finals in Zurich on September 8, also becoming the first Indian to do so. Despite the win, he remained on fourth spot with 15 points — with the addition of eight points on Friday. The top six after the Lausanne leg qualify for Zurich Finals. The winner at the finals will take home $30,000.
Before Friday’s win, his best was a second place finish in the Stockholm leg on June 30.
“Diamond League Finals in Zurich will be the season’s last competition, so the plan is to continue doing the same things which I’ve been doing. It’s only 10 days, I don’t have much time to do more or train extra. The focus will be to end the season on a positive note without any injury.”
During his title-winning feat in Lausanne, Chopra also qualified for the 2023 World Championships in Budapest by breaching the 85.20m qualifying marking.
“It’s an advantage to qualify for the World Championship much in advance as there are other tournaments like Asian Games and Asian Championships lined up as well, so next year will be very important.
“And, then the Olympics in 2024. So the World Championship qualification is already out of the picture, I can prepare well for all the competitions,” he said.
Chopra has had a successful 2022 season, having clinched historic silver at World Championships as well as breaking the national record (with 89.94m) at Stockholm Diamond League on June 30.
“It’s been a great year for me so far. I have gone over 89m thrice out of the five competitions, 88.3m in World Championship, and 86.69m in Kuortane Games despite the challenging weather,” he said.
“So, the performance has been consistent and now the focus is on doing well in Zurich. Yes, everyone has been asking about 90m throw, it will happen when the time comes, I don’t have any pressure about it as such.”
Chopra was cheered at the stands by the legendary Indian shooter Abhinav Bindra, the first from the country to win an individual gold medal in Olympics in 2008. International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Thomas Bach also witnessed Chopra creating history as the Diamond League leg was happening at the headquarters of the world’s apex sports body.
“It was a special night, most importantly made a comeback with a very good throw. Abhinav Bindra sir, IOC President Thomas Bach sir and the crowd were cheering for me,” Chopra said.

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India independence to lockdown: Meet Indians named after historic events

India independence to lockdown: Meet Indians named after historic events
Azad Kapoor, Emergency Yadav and Lockdown

(From left) Azad Kapoor, Emergency Yadav and Lockdown Kakkandi

How often do you meet a person with a truly unique name?

Most Indian parents prefer to name their children after gods, sports icons, film stars or even famous cartoons. But some get inspiration from entirely different sources.

As India marks 75 years since independence, the BBC met six people across the country whose parents named them after a historical event that unfolded during their birth.

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AZAD Kapoor, 75 years

Azad Kapoor

Azad Kapoor was born on the day India became independent

Azad Kapoor was born on 15 August 1947 – the day India got freedom from British rule.

“When I was born my family celebrated, saying Mother India has come home and brought us freedom,” she says.

Azad – which means free – was not very happy with her name as a child since it sounded like a boy’s name. But as time passed, she came around to it.

“No-one ever forgets my birthday. Everyone who knows me remembers me on 15 August. My friends joke that the whole country celebrates my birthday,”she says.

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EMERGENCY Yadav, 47 years

Emergency Yadav

Emergency Yadav’s father was jailed during the state of emergency in 1975

Emergency Yadav was born on 26 June 1975, a day after a state of Emergency was declared in India.

“My father told me that he gave me this name so that people would not forget about this sad, dark period in India’s history,” he says.

In a radio announcement to the country, then prime minister Indira Gandhi said she was declaring a state of emergency, citing a threat to national security from “internal disturbances”. Constitutional rights were suspended, press freedom was curtailed and many opposition leaders were jailed.

Emergency Yadav’s father Ram Tej Yadav – who was an opposition politician – was arrested hours before his son was born. He spent 22 months in jail and met his son only after the emergency was lifted in 1977.

“If there is emergency in any country, it means that the country is regressing. I really hope that we never have to see another instance like this again,” he says.

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KARGIL Prabhu, 23 years

Kargil Prabhu

Kargil has never visited the town he was named after

Kargil Prabhu – born during the 1999 Kargil conflict between India and Pakistan over the disputed territory of Kashmir – didn’t know the significance of his name for a long time.

“Even though I was named after this conflict, I didn’t know much about it until I grew up and Googled it. My father passed away when I was young so he couldn’t tell me what my name meant,” he says.

Kargil works as a video editor in the southern city of Chennai and has never visited the town he was named after. But it is on top of his bucket list of places to visit.

More than 500 Indian soldiers died during the conflict, which began after India retaliated against infiltration from Pakistan – though Islamabad has long denied this. The conflict lasted three months before India declared victory.

“I don’t believe in war, but I think India had to defend itself during the Kargil war, and that was the right decision,” Mr Prabhu says.

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TSUNAMI Roy, 17 years

Tsunami with his mother Mounitha

Tsunami with his mother Mounitha

Tsunami’s mother’s eyes well up when she remembers the day her son was born.

Mounitha Roy was heavily pregnant when she took refuge on top of a small hill in one of the islands in the Andaman archipelago, which was struck by a devastating tsunami in 2004.

“I told my husband to escape with my elder son. I had no hope for myself and the baby in my womb. At around 11pm, I delivered my son in the dark on top of a rock, without any assistance or medication. My health never recovered after that,” she says.

At school, Tsunami was mocked for being named after a disaster. But for his mother, the name means hope and survival.

“My son came as a ray of hope to all of us, in the midst of everyone mourning the deaths of their family members. My son was the only good thing that happened that day,” Mrs Roy says.

More than 200,000 people, including 10,000 Indians, were killed in the 26 December tsunami, which was triggered by an underwater earthquake in the Indian Ocean.

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KHAZANCHI Nath, 5 years

Khazanchi Nath with his mother

Khazanchi was born a few weeks after the 2016 demonetisation

Khazanchi was born in a branch of Punjab National Bank in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, a few weeks after Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a surprise announcement withdrawing high-value banknotes from circulation.

Khazanchi’s mother, Sarvesha Devi, went into labour while standing in line to withdraw some money after the move – called demonetisation or note ban in India – triggered massive cash shortages.

“Since he was born in a bank, everyone said he should be named Khazanchi (cashier),” she says.

Mr Modi gave only four hours’ notice on 8 November 2016 while declaring that 1,000 and 500 rupee notes would no longer be valid, wiping out more than 85% of Indian currency. Authorities said it was done to target bribery, tax evasion and terror financing, but experts said it severely impacted common people and small businesses across the country.

But to Khazanchi’s family, his name brought luck. The main opposition leader in Uttar Pradesh made Khazanchi one of the stars in his campaign ahead of state elections held earlier this year.

“He’s brought us money and wealth, everyone is helping us. I have a proper house and enough cash because of his name,” says Sarvesha Devi.

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LOCKDOWN Kakkandi, 2 years

Lockdown with his mother

Lockdown is a celebrity in his village

Lockdown Kakkandi – born one week after a Covid-led shutdown was announced in India in 2020 – is a celebrity in the small village of Khukhundu in Uttar Pradesh.

“My son was born at the peak of the lockdown. It was very hard to find a vehicle to take my wife for delivery. Many doctors were even unwilling to attend to patients. Thankfully my son was born without any complications,” says Lockdown’s father Pawan Kumar.

In Lockdown’s village and surrounding areas, everybody knows his address and many visit his house to meet him.

“People may make fun of him for some time, but everyone will remember him too. I want his name to be a reminder of what people were going through at that time,” says father Pawan Kumar.

The nationwide lockdown, announced by Mr Modi on 24 March 2020, came as a shock to many Indians as they were given just a few hours’ notice. The weeks after it were marked by a shortage of necessities and massive job losses, especially in the informal sector.

India at 75

India at 75

India, the world’s largest democracy, is celebrating 75 years of independence from British rule. This is the second story in the BBC’s special series on this milestone.

Read more from the series here: