To get in shape for two big competitions this season, Neeraj Chopra will have a very important 47-day training period in Switzerland. From May 25th to July 10th, India’s best javelin thrower will be at the Olympic Training Centre in Bienne, Switzerland, to prepare for the Commonwealth and Asian Games; this was approved by the Mission Olympic Cell.
Chopra targets a reset in Bienne
Neeraj Chopra is recovering from a back problem in Turkey and wants a good, consistent place to train at a high level. Switzerland offers that, and importantly, the timing of the camp leads directly into his competitions. It’s a definite attempt to feel his rhythm again before a lot of international events.
The Mission Olympic Cell approved this at their 173rd meeting, and the Sports Authority said that Chopra (a TOPS Core athlete) will train in Bienne as preparation for both of these multi-sport Games. He’ll be with Ishaan Marwaha, his physiotherapist of many years, and Jai Choudhary, his coach.
What the support package includes
The sanction covers the essentials for an uninterrupted block. As per the approved proposal, the support spans a comprehensive set of costs that eliminate logistical friction and safeguard recovery time:
– Airfare, hotel expenses and food
– Visa and medical insurance
– Extra baggage for javelin and treatment bed
– Out-of-pocket allowance of USD 25 per day for 47 days
Compressed timelines, high stakes
The camp finishes just a few days before the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland (July 23rd – August 2nd), so it has to be a good period of training. Then the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan (September 19th – October 4th) follow, and he’ll need to keep playing well for a long time.
He hasn’t competed at all this year because the Diamond League event in Doha was delayed due to the fighting in the Gulf area. But he’s had success in the past: a gold medal at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, and winning the 2018 and 2022 Asian Games show how good he can be when he’s at his peak.
Chopra already knows Bienne really well from spending a lot of time there before he became famous around the world. Going back there now with his support staff focused on a good structure, getting enough rest, and doing lots of high-quality throws is more important than making changes at the last minute.
Parallel moves for shooters
The Mission Olympic Cell also approved a training trip abroad for Manu Bhaker (shooting) in Lucca, Italy. She’ll be there from May 13th to 22nd, so her training will happen at the same time as the busy period leading up to the Asian Games, where she’ll compete in the women’s 10m air pistol and 25m pistol.
She’ll be with her coach Jaspal Rana and physiotherapist Snehil Khurana. The plan covers travel, somewhere to stay, and the cost of using the shooting range, all to make sure she gets as much training time as possible. She’s only going to the Asian Games this year (shooting isn’t in the Commonwealth Games).
All of this shows a wider plan for choosing athletes: give those who are likely to win medals a chance to train abroad with some control, make decisions quickly and clearly, and build momentum as the competitions get closer. For shooters, small improvements in accuracy in the final weeks can be really important when they are under the pressure of a championship.
Distance runner’s US stint adds to the push
Gulveer Singh (long-distance runner) has also been given permission for 34 days of training and competitions in the USA from May 15th to June 17th. He’ll be in top races in Los Angeles and Nashville to get his racing speed up before the competitions in Asia.
Gulveer has won a bronze at the Asian Games, and gold in both the 5000m and 10,000m at the Asian Championships. His plan focuses on actually racing. Training with his coach on American running tracks will help him judge his speed and use different tactics against strong runners.
All of these approvals show a clear plan to invest in periods of intense work instead of just showing up at a few events. They all have in common training abroad that’s specifically aimed at what they need, planning that puts rest and recovery first, and then immediately being ready to compete in the Games.
What comes next
For Chopra, he doesn’t have much room for mistakes and the benefits of being ready are obvious. The time in Switzerland needs to get him back to that smooth movement from the start of his run to letting go of the javelin that was so good in his best throws, and the Commonwealth Games start very soon after July 10th.
The Sports Authority has said that the camp in Bienne is a key part of India’s plan for the Games. With the way things are set up and his support team sorted, the next few weeks will show if India’s best athletes can turn their quiet preparation into results on the podium.
