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Sachin Yadav on outshining idol Neeraj Chopra: "I felt bad for him"

Rising Indian javelin thrower Sachin Yadav expressed disappointment for his idol Neeraj Chopra after outperforming him at the 2025 World Athletics Championships. Yadav finished fourth in Tokyo, missing a bronze medal by a mere 40 centimeters, while an injured Chopra placed eighth. The debutant stated that comparisons with the Olympic champion are unfair, emphasizing Chopra's injury affected his performance. Yadav credits Chopra for inspiring him to take up the sport and was saddened their first competition together ended with his idol off the podium.

Key Points: Sachin Yadav on beating Neeraj Chopra at World Championships

  • Sachin Yadav finished 4th on Worlds debut
  • Neeraj Chopra placed 8th due to injury
  • Yadav missed bronze medal by just 40 cm
  • He calls comparisons with Chopra unfair
3 min read

Felt bad that he missed out: Javelin thrower Sachin Yadav on outshining his idol Neeraj Chopra at World Athletics Championships 2025

Rising javelin star Sachin Yadav expresses disappointment for idol Neeraj Chopra after outperforming him at the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo.

"I felt bad for Neeraj bhai as well. I started the game after seeing him. - Sachin Yadav"

By Adarsh Chauhan, New Delhi, April 6

Rising Indian javelin thrower Sachin Yadav said he felt disappointed for his idol and a two-time Olympic medallist, Neeraj Chopra, after the latter missed out on a podium finish at the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo. While Sachin delivered a strong performance himself by finishing fourth, he acknowledged disappointment for Neeraj, who has been a constant inspiration and a consistent medallist since 2019.

Sachin Yadav delivered India's standout performance in the men's javelin at Tokyo25, finishing fourth on his World Championships debut. He recorded a throw of 86.27m in the opening round, missing out on the bronze by just 40 cm. Meanwhile, the then reigning world champion Neeraj Chopra ended up eighth in the final with an 84.03 m throw. On the day, Sachin outperformed both former Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra and current Olympic gold medallist Arshad Nadeem.

Speaking about outperforming Neeraj at Tokyo 2025, Sachin said that comparisons with Neeraj Chopra are unfair, calling him a great athlete who could have performed better if not for his injury. He expressed that he feels bad for Neeraj's result, noting that he has consistently been on the podium since 2019. Sachin added that Neeraj inspired him to take up the sport and felt disappointed that his first competition alongside him ended with Neeraj missing out.

"Everyone asks the same question: that I beat Neeraj Chopra. It's not like that. He is a great player. If there is a good player practising, he will definitely beat me. It's just a matter of practise. He was injured at that time. If he were not injured, he could have done better. Anything could have happened. I felt bad for Neeraj bhai as well. I started the game after seeing him. From 2019 till today, he has finished the podium in every event. It was the first time he has played a competition with me and he was out of the competition. I felt bad about that," Sachin Yadav told ANI.

Speaking about him missing the podium finish by just 40 cm, Sachin said he avoids dwelling on the past, as narrowly missing a medal by 40 cm still disappoints him. Instead, Sachin said that he focuses on staying motivated and ensuring he doesn't miss such an opportunity in future competitions.

"I don't look back much. Because I feel bad that I missed out by just 40 centimetres. So, I don't look back much. I motivate myself that I may have missed back then, but I don't want to miss it that way in the next competition," he said.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

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Rohit P
Fourth place on debut at Worlds is incredible! 86.27m is a huge throw. Forget the 40cm miss for now, this shows we have serious depth in javelin now. Neeraj started the revolution, and now others are carrying the torch. Well done, Sachin!
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David E
Respect to Sachin for his performance and his words. It's a tough situation. But let's be honest, the media needs to stop with the "beat Neeraj" narrative. One off-day or injury doesn't diminish a champion's legacy. Let both athletes breathe and focus on their careers.
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Ananya R
This is the beauty of sport. The student surpasses the teacher on a given day, but with so much grace. Neeraj will be back stronger, and having Sachin pushing him will only make Indian javelin better. Exciting times ahead for Paris 2028!
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Karthik V
While I appreciate Sachin's humility, I feel we are too quick to make excuses for Neeraj. He's a champion, and champions find a way. Maybe it's time to accept that others are catching up, and that's a good thing! It pushes everyone to be better.
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Sarah B
The mental strength to not dwell on missing a medal by 40cm and to look forward is impressive. That's a champion's mindset. Sachin has shown he belongs on the world stage. Can't wait to see him and Neeraj on the podium together soon! 🤞

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