Exclusive: The 8:20 pm call from Neeraj Chopra that gave India’s Asian Games hero his big break | More sports News
NEW DELHI: The qualifying mark for the men’s javelin throw at the World Athletics Championships is the same as the Olympics: 85.50 metres. At the halfway stage of the Asian Games 2022 final in Hangzhou, Kishore Jena had already crossed that mark with a mighty 86.77m throw
Not long after, he bettered that with a sensational 87.54m (a new personal best), placing himself in the gold medal position.
But then came Neeraj Chopra, launching the javelin to a staggering 88.88m to clinch the coveted gold.
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For Odisha-born Jena, it was a silver. Yet, not a single trace of disappointment was visible on his face.
As the crowd at the Hangzhou Olympic Sports Park Main Stadium, famously known as the “Big Lotus”, looked on, Jena was seen jumping, hugging Neeraj in pure joy, clicking pictures, and taking selfies under a shared tricolour, moments that soon went viral across social media.
Back home, Jena received as much love as the Olympic champion.
His resolve now hardened, and he began training with a singular focus: to challenge Neeraj in Paris 2024.
But with the Olympics two months away, just as preparations picked up steam, trouble struck.
“Back in May, I was in Patiala. During a practice throw, I felt something in my left ankle,” Jena told TimesofIndia.com.
The pain was tremendous, not just physically, but mentally too, as his Olympic dream had just taken a hit.
The Paris 2024 Olympics arrived; Kishore Jena pressed on but couldn’t qualify for the final round.
“I thought if I go for surgery before the Olympics, I’ll lose too much time. But later, I was told surgery was the only permanent fix. Without it, proper recovery wasn’t possible,” said the 29-year-old.
On October 4, Jena underwent surgery.
“Now everything’s fine. The doctors said the ankle just needs time to adapt. There’s a 7–8 month gap in training, so it’s readjusting,” he smiled.
Last month, Jena made his competitive return at the Indian Open in Chennai.
Though his best effort of 75.99m wasn’t much to write home about, for someone who had struggled to walk just a few months ago, it was a personal victory.
At the Federation Cup in Kochi later in April, Jena threw 77.82m, missing the podium by just 0.02m. Sachin Yadav took gold with 83.86m, followed by Yashvir Singh (80.85m) and Sahil Silwal (77.84m).
Meanwhile, the athletics world was abuzz with the announcement of the Neeraj Chopra Classic (NC Classic), a prestigious ‘A’ category Continental Tour Gold event by World Athletics.
Indian stars like Sachin, Rohit Yadav, and Sahil were named in the lineup released on Tuesday, but Kishore Jena’s name was notably missing.
“I had been trying to get an entry into it for a while, but the throws just weren’t landing well, so it felt like maybe it wouldn’t happen this time. I was like, if it doesn’t happen this year, that’s okay. I thought I would try again next year,” Jena added.
Then came the call. Under the evening Mumbai sky on Wednesday, Jena’s phone rang. On the other end was double Olympic medallist Neeraj Chopra.
“Around 8:20 or 8:25, I got a call from Neeraj bhai. He said he had spoken to the management and that I should be playing. That’s how the conversation started,” he said.
This wasn’t their first conversation about it. Even earlier, messages from Neeraj had encouraged him to participate. But with the Diamond League’s Doha leg looming and a notable dip in performance, Jena wasn’t sure he could manage both.
Perhaps the Wednesday night call was the push he needed. On Thursday, Jena was officially added to the NC Classic lineup as its latest entrant.
“We had been keen to include Jena, but were waiting for the confirmation since he’s just returned from injury and is also preparing for the Diamond League,” a source close to the developments told TimesofIndia.com.
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Before stepping into the high-profile NC Classic on May 24 at Bengaluru’s Kanteerava Stadium, Jena, however, has a bigger target: to breach the all-important 85.50m barrier at the upcoming Doha Diamond League on May 16.
“The goal is definitely to qualify for the World Championships through that,” concluded Jena, who will leave for Qatar on May 14.
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