Gurugram (Haryana) [India], July 11 (ANI): India's world champion and Tokyo 2020 gold medalist javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra heaped praise on young athletes Tejaswin Shankar, Jay Shah and fencers Rishika Khajuria, Jyotika Dutta and lauded them for their 'dedication and talent'.

Tejaswin is the international decathlete who holds the National Record and specialises in the high jump. He is India's first-ever high jump medallist at the Commonwealth Games, securing a bronze medal at Hangzhou back in 2023. Jay is an All India University record holder in the triple jump, with 16.36 m. Rishika and Jyotika are national-level medalists.

An Indian sabre fencer from Jammu, Rishikha is currently representing India on the international stage. She has competed at elite platforms like the World Championships and the World University Games and is currently preparing for the 2025 World University Games in Germany. A standout performer on the national circuit, Rishika is the 2024 Inter-University Gold Medallist and Senior National Silver Medallist, with multiple podium finishes at national-level competitions.

Jyotika is a professional sabre fencer from Rohru, Himachal Pradesh, currently training at the prestigious National Institute of Sports (NIS), Patiala. She has proudly represented India twice at the Asian Games, reaching the quarterfinals both times, and continues to be one of the country's most consistent performers in fencing. Domestically, she has won over 20 medals across Senior and Junior National Championships.

Jay is a two-time All India Universities National Record holder in the Triple Jump, he has consistently proven his dominance at the university level. Jay proudly represented India at the 2019 World University Games in Naples, Italy. In addition to his achievements in jumps, he has earned multiple national medals in the 200m sprint and 100m relay, showcasing his versatility and speed on the track.

Speaking at the event held by Under Armour, where these athletes were signed by the brand, Neeraj said, 'Tejaswin, Jay, Jyotika, and Rishika have shown incredible dedication and talent, and I'm confident they'll inspire many more athletes across India. Together, we are proving that with hard work and belief, underdogs can achieve greatness.'

Tushar Goculdas, Managing Director, Underdog Athletics, exclusive India distributor and licensee of Under Armour added, 'We have always stood for the underdog -- for those who train in silence, show up with grit, and let their performance speak the loudest. Neeraj Chopra embodies that mindset, and today, we are proud to welcome four promising athletes who carry that same fire.'

Speaking to ANI at the event, Neeraj also opened up on several topics, ranging from his approach to the javelin throw world record after touching the 90-m, and his preparations for the upcoming World Athletics Championships.

Speaking about the possibility of touching the 95-m mark, Neeraj told ANI, 'I believe in going step-by-step. I have touched 90 m now, so I would like to increase it by one or two metres. Then aim for 95 m. As Sumit (Antil) said, 95 m is indeed possible. Then, after that, I would try breaking my coach's record.'

After his win at the Paris Diamond League meet recently, Neeraj had said about breaking his coach Jan Zelezny's record, ' He has thrown 98m, and so many over 90. Maybe once I hit 95m, then I can start to say something - but right now, I need to keep working,' he said.

With Zelenzy in his corner, who holds the world record in men's javelin throw with 98.48 m effort in 1996, Neeraj touched the 90 m for the first time in his career as he came second at the Doha Diamond League in May. It put an end to years of media discussion and hype around Neeraj touching the coveted mark. But he came second at the event, with Germany's Julian Weber touching 91.06 m. Neeraj touched a stupendous 90.23 metres.

Earlier, in an interview with ANI, Para-athletic javelin thrower and double Paralympics gold medalist Antil had backed Neeraj to go beyond the 90-m and touch 95-m.'As an athlete, it is not far for Neeraj to cross 95 meters. His technique is very good. I have been following him since 2017, when I joined Parasports and did a javelin throw as a game. I have seen positive changes in his run-up and other things,' said Antil.

Speaking on his preparations to defend the title at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo this year, Neeraj said, 'I am preparing well for it and I hope to give my level best there. It is the biggest and most important competition of the year. Will continue preparing well for it.'

The World Athletics Championships will be held in Tokyo from 13-21 September 2025. If Neeraj wins the title, he could become the first Indian to defend his crown. Any other coloured medal would make it a hat-trick of medals at the marquee event, first-ever by an Indian, having won the silver medal back in 2022 before following it with a historic gold at Budapest.

On his partnership with coach Zelezny, Neeraj said that they are doing some technical work together, and he is happy with his training so far.'We are trying to follow the javelin and do not fall towards the left much. I want to implement all this in my competitions,' he added.

Speaking on the importance of a player's gear, clothes and shoes, Neeraj said, 'It is important. You should get comfort and quality. It keeps you injury-free. You get support in your performance as well.'

Chopra took the top honours in the inaugural edition of the Neeraj Chopra Classic, a competition named after him at Sri Kanteerava Outdoor Stadium in Bengaluru recently on Saturday.

The reigning javelin throw champion stood triumphant with 86.18m in a competition named after him. Kenya's Julius Yego notched up his season best and settled for second with 84.51m. Sri Lanka's Rumesh Pathirage claimed the third position with a best throw of 84.34m.

While some athletes came close to challenging Neeraj's supremacy, the Indian's finesse remained unmatched by the end of the tournament. Even though it was not another 90m outing for the 27-year-old, he stamped his authority by conquering the challenge that he encountered and ensured that he continued to stay inside the top two since June 26, 2021.

He has had a fine season so far in 2025. Neeraj kickstarted with a win at the Potch Invitational in Potchefstroom, South Africa, in April and followed it up with a very special second-place finish at Doha Diamond League, where he crossed the 90-metre mark for the first time ever, with a throw of 90.23 m.

He also went on to secure a second spot in the Janusz Kusocinski Memorial in Poland later that month and resumed his winning ways with back-to-back titles at Paris Diamond League and Ostrava Golden Spike this month, with best efforts of 88.16 m and 85.29 m. Most recently came his NC Classic triumph in front of his home crowd. (ANI)