Two-time Olympic champion Ashton Eaton, still the only athlete to have crossed the 9000-point mark, twice, in a decathlon, on Saturday compared the emergence of World Champion Neeraj Chopra with legendary Michael Johnson saying “It was Johnson, who spurred on a generation with his golden spikes and wonderful performances, and Neeraj can definitely do that with Indian athletics, and sometimes that’s just what you need.
Speaking at “Beyond the Finish Line, event here ,Eaton said “Sport is about celebrating human potential and expressing what we are capable of. And we always want to get better, it’s about human potential and it’s about discovering the potential and sharing it with the world too,”
At this event ,Asian Games Gold Medalist Annu Rani, one of the fastest long-distance runners in Asia, Kartik Kumar, and the decorated veteran Saurav Ghosal spoke about their determination and discipline, which helped them break a few glass ceilings.
“I fought with my federation to allow me to go and train overseas. However, I didn’t start the stint well, losing a series of competitions. But I was focused on winning the Asian Games, it was do or die for me, and eventually I was able to rise to the occasion in Hangzhou, and win against an Olympic and former World Champion. It was all down to the hard work and hours that had gone in before,” said Annu Rani.
Asian Games Bronze Medallist Priti Lamba said, “It was very important for me to win a Medal at the Asian Games. If I didn’t make it then it would’ve been the end of the road for me. I promised myself that I would give it my all, and then leave it to God. My father was in tears after I won the Medal and he told me that I have added 10 years to his life.”
“Until 2018 things were going well. After that things started to go off, injuries and health issues derailed my progress. But that’s where support from a lot of people helped me, made me believe that it is not over, and understand that sport is like this. There will be tough patches, but you have to keep working hard. Post the Covid-19 pandemic, I decided to reboot and start afresh. All the work I had put in over the years, was paying off and the experience has taught me to manage my body,” said badminton star HS Prannoy .
The Beyond the Finish Line is a joint initiative by Procam International along with Empowerment Partner GoSports Foundation.