Apart from nation’s javelin in hand star Neeraj Chopra, the rising star SHIVPAL SINGH have also a big possibility in the Olympics for a podium finish
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| SHIVPAL SINGH |
Neeraj Chopra has taken all the limelight in India’s field
of Javelin Throw. Well, more than deservingly, he has been the biggest
advertisement of Javelin Throw to the world, no doubt about that. The whole
nation will be watching him with huge expectations. Well, don’t miss out
Shivpal Singh, the rising star in India’s Javelin throw map. Don’t you know
him? You should then. The 25 year old athlete is currently
world no. 15 in Javelin Throw. He has
recorded the 8th best throw of the season in the world, 85.76 meter.
Wait, that’s not his best. His best came
off in 2019 Asian Championship where he went on to win silver, second to the
Asian record-holder Chao-Tsun Cheng from Taipei. So, don’t be
surprised if he pulls off a podium finish for India.
It all started from his home-ground:
“My grand-dad was in
Javelin too. My uncle, Jagmohan Singh,
is a former National champand my dad Ramasaray and another uncle Shivpujan was
good at it too.”- Shivpal said to The Hindu in an interview.
As you read it, his family sport you may call, is javelin
throwing. He started to love throwing spear watching his family members to do
so in the fields.
“I must have been 14
when I started out javelin. And my uncle Jagmohan coached me for nearly 6 years
and he was very strict.”- Shivpal to
The
Hindu.
Fun fact, at his early teens, as Shivpal was putting on fat,
his parent sent him to his uncle at Delhi; simply just they wanted to see their
son fit. And see what they got back, an International athlete. Shivpal
considers his career to be the byproduct of his mission to stay fit.
In 2015 he was
selected for Junior World Championship but ultimately got left out for Injury.
2016 saw him winning the Budapest Open
Athletics Javelin Throw event. But
2018 Asian Game arrived and injury again took a toll; he managed to pull off
just one throw due to elbow injury.
Coming into Lights:
It was 2019 and athletic fraternity of India got their pro
Neeraj Chopra injured ahead of Asian Championship. That is when Shivpal rose
high. After clinching silver in Asian Championship, he became talk of the
nation. He didn’t stop there. His rise got higher with Gold in 2019 Wuhan Military Games and silver in South Asian Games. He improved his numbers
rapidly. He got the entry to elite Diamond league, though he failed to impress
there to his expectation. He increased
his record to 4-5 meters in just mere 2 years or so. He
qualified for Olympics throwing 85.47 meters which got him the gold medal in
one of the ACNW meetings.
Can Shivpal make it!
Well, to be very honest, with 86.23 it may look be tough to
make it. Neeraj has the personal best of
88.06 meter (National Record) and he is currently the 2nd longest
thrower of 2020 after Johannes Vetter who had pulled off a stunner of 97.76
meter, just missing out the all time record in new era i.e. 98.48 meters by Jan
Zelezny.
But wait, Shivpal is not stuck to that 86 meter mark. Here what
he has to say-“I could have easily
crossed the 90 meter mark at the Potchefstroom Meet. But I just couldn’t get me
block (locking the non-throwing arm at the point of delivery) right. The
javelin would go off my hand in motion.” (Shivpal to Olympic Channel)
Well, crossing 90 meter mark gives a very big hope and
possibility. And with Neeraj Chopra coming back from injury, we guess, he has
improved his numbers as well. That sounds like there is a big possibility of a
medal or may be even more than that if everything goes well. Fingers crossed.
“The only thing is there should not be injuries. Right now, I’m fit. My
dream is an Olympic medal and it’s possible if I’m fit. I want to throw 90 meters
in Olympic.”
Ok, there’s something to add on to this. I would have loved
to end my article there with that quote. But I just couldn’t help giving
another quote, Shivpal Singh is injury-prone, Neeraj Chopra coming out from
injury; actually the sport is itself an
injury-prone one. But it feels bad and frustrating when I see Indian Javelin
Throw Team has not even one physio, it’s horrible. Dear authority, please
support these underrated yet beautiful and promising sports, dear spectators
please support them, they need it, they deserve it. Why would a Olympic bound
International top ranked player from your county has to say,
“Chao-Tsun Cheng was my roommate in Oslo during
diamond League… There are two coaches travelling with Cheng, including one from
Sweden and a physio. I wish we could have things like that.” (In another
interview to The Hindu)
Tags: Javelin Throw, Olympics, Shivpal Singh, Neeraj Chopra,
Johannes Vetter, Jan Zelezny, Chao-Tsun Cheng, Indian Athletics, Indian Olympic
Association, Jagmohan Singh, Wuhan Military games, Asian Championship, Asian
Games, South Asian Games Budapest Open Athletics
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