At 3:30 PM, it will be time for India's golden boy in athletics and the defending Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra to jump into action in the men's Javelin throw qualification event at Paris Olympics.
Neeraj Chopra will get strong competition from compatriot Kishore Jena and Pakistan's Arshad Nadeem in his quest to defend his Olympic gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Atlys CEO Mohak Nahta, has promised a 'free visa to everyone' if Neeraj Chopra wins gold at the Olympics
Though India's contingent is not the biggest ever at the Paris Olympics 2024, there are chances that the country's medal haul at the world's biggest sporting event might swell to 10 this time around.
The matches during the Paris Olympics will start as early as 11:30 AM IST and conclude by 2:30 AM IST.
Paris Olympics: Javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra will lead a 28-member contingent of athletes at the Paris Olympics, in which a total of 118 Indians will participate
Pardiwala, the chief medical officer (CMO) of the nearly 120-strong Indian contingent for the Paris Games, added that his 13-member team will render the best possible medical assistance
The squad comprises 17 men and 11 women athletes with some of the other prominent names being Asian Games champions Avinash Sable, and Tejinderpal Singh Toor along with sprint hurdler Jyothi Yarraji
The 26-year-old, who created history by becoming the first Indian to win a track and field medal at the Tokyo Olympics, had withdrawn from last month's Ostrava Golden Spike as a precautionary measure
Chopra produced the winning effort of 85.97m in his third attempt to lead the field for a major part of the competition
Neeraj Chopra feels that an athlete should always have self-belief till the very last moment that they can win it
Chopra has competed in two competitions this season -- the Doha Diamond League and the Federation Cup. The 26-year-old will, however, attend the prestigious meet as a guest
Chopra last took part in a domestic competition at the same event on March 17, 2021, when he won a gold with a throw of 87.80m
DP Manu, who finished sixth in the 2023 World Championships and who is looking to qualify for the upcoming Paris Olympics by breaching the 85.50m mark, will also compete directly in the finals
It will also be the first time that Chopra will compete in India after winning a historic gold in Tokyo Olympics in 2021
Chopra made a last ditch effort but his final round throw fell 2cm short of Vadlejch's mark as the Indian superstar failed to defend the title he had won won last year.
The 26-year-old superstar, who is the reigning world and Asian Games champion as well, is set to begin his season with the first leg of Diamond League here on Friday
European champion Julian Weber of Germany, fourth in the Olympic Games and World Championships, will also compete in the 10-man field. The league will then move to Morocco on May 19
The star Indian athlete was invited to the OMEGA boutique in Doha, ahead of his participation at the first leg of Diamond League on Friday
The 26-year-old will defend his crown at the July 26-Aug. 11 Games and will be joined by compatriot Kishore Jena, while DP Manu also has a chance of qualifying for Paris