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As India prepares for its first National Javelin Day on Aug 7 to mark the anniversary of Neeraj Chopra's historic Olympic gold medal, the 24-year-old hopes to bring a maiden World Athletics Championships medal to the celebrations.
Neeraj, the son of a farmer, came up with an effort of 87.58 metres in Tokyo last year to become the first Indian to claim an individual Olympic gold in athletics.
While superstardom has followed the athlete with his Bollywood good looks, his focus has remained on pushing the boundaries in a sport that is dwarfed in cricket-crazy India.
He looks to break new ground.
Neeraj, who hails from Haryana - better known for producing wrestlers and kabaddi players - threw a personal best 89.30m at last month's Paavo Nurmi Games in Finland before improving it to 89.94m at the Stockholm Diamond League.
"I'm close to 90m," said Neraj, who finished second in Stockholm, behind Grenada's reigning world champion Anderson Peters.
"I know I can throw it this year.
"A lot of guys now are capable of throwing over 90m. It'll take 89m plus to win in Eugene (Oregon, United States )."
Earlier this month, before his season opener in Turku, Finland, he said: "I want to do my best. Overall, the competition in the world is improving.
"But it all depends on the day. How the throwers manage the kind of weather and conditions is important because it does have an effect.
"My aim is also to achieve 90m at one of the competitions. I will not leave any stone unturned."
Victory at Eugene will make Neeraj the first men's javelin thrower to follow an Olympic triumph with a World title since Norway's Andreas Thorkildsen in 2008-09.
The Indian said being the reigning Olympic champion would not heap the pressure on him ahead of the July 15-24 World Athletics Championships.
The qualification round of the men's javelin throw will be on July 21 and the final on July 23.
"Nothing of that sort should happen because I play with a free mind and perform to my potential," he said.
"There's no pressure... I train well and give 100 per cent in competition."
Neeraj's chances have improved following the withdrawal of Johannes Vetter, who has the second-furthest throw of all time, after the German suffered a shoulder injury. Peters is grappling with a back issue.
Long jumper Anju Bobby George remains the only Indian to claim a World medal with a bronze in 2003.
"I feel no pressure even though I know India has only one medal at the World Athletics Championships," said Neeraj, adding that he is just focused on getting the basics right and giving his best.
"I am competing with a free mind, training well and giving my 100 per cent in the competitions, that's it. A lot depends on how I feel when I touch down in Oregon for the world championships."
Neeraj, dubbed by India's media as the "man with the golden arm", looks primed to continue his run of success.
At Gold Coast in 2018, the former junior world champion became the third man to win an athletics gold for India at the Commonwealth Games - after sprinter Milkha Singh in 1958 and discus thrower Vikas Gowda in 2014.
He then added an Asian Games gold in Jakarta before becoming a household name with his Olympic win, spending the second-half of last year being feted by an adoring nation and resumed training only in December.
Reuters
"I feel no pressure even though I know India has only one medal at the World Athletics Championships. I am competing with a free mind, training well and giving my 100 per cent in the competitions, that's it. A lot depends on how I feel when I touch down in Oregon for the World Championships."
- Neeraj Chopra (left)
