How triple jumper Praveen Chithravel was boosted by a Neeraj Chopra message
Praveen Chithravel missed out on a medal at Commonwealth Games 2022 but made a strong comeback to win silver at the Asian Championships with a national indoor record.
Athletics
A fourth-place finish can be disheartening for an athlete. For India’s triple jumper Praveen Chithravel, the feeling of barely missing out on the podium at the Commonwealth Games 2022 was no different.
While such heartbreaks can be tough to digest, 21-year-old Praveen Chithravel found solace in a message from his idol and Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra.
“Neeraj Chopra messaged me on Instagram after I narrowly missed out on the medal at the Commonwealth Games,” Praveen Chithravel told Olympics.com. “He is such a great role model and an inspiration for so many.
“He (Chopra) first congratulated me for my consistency. He then asked me to not lose heart and motivated me by saying that I have the potential to do well at the Asian Games and the world championships in 2023.”
The words proved useful for Praveen Chithravel, who not only won a silver medal at the Asian Indoor Championships in his first major tournament of 2023 but also shattered the national indoor record with a 16.98m effort.
Praveen Chithravel now aims to break the outdoor national record of 17.30m set by Renjith Maheswary in 2016 and go past it consistently.
“If we succeed in hitting the distances we are targeting, it will help me get a medal at the Asian Games and my standings at the world championships and the Diamond League. So I definitely need to target the national record. It is one of my first priorities,” Chithravel declared.
Paris 2024 Olympics - for the view
Just like his role model Neeraj Chopra, Praveen Chithravel is also aiming for an Olympic medal. Paris, where the 2024 Summer Games will be held, holds a special place in the Indian athlete’s heart.
“I was in Paris in 2021 for a competition and saw the Eiffel Tower. It was so good that I told myself that I want to be here again for this view at the Paris 2024 Olympics,” Chithravel quipped.
“But for that too, I need to trust the process and not think about it much at this stage. The first target is to get past the national record, then the Asian Games and the world championships.”
Youth Olympic Games medal boost
Praveen Chithravel has been a regular feature in India’s domestic circuit and has won medals consistently since 2016. A bronze medal at the Youth Olympic Games 2018 in Buenos Aires, however, placed him on the Indian athletics map.
According to Praveen Chithravel, winning a medal at the Youth Olympics made him just as happy and proud as watching Neeraj Chopra win an Olympic medal in Tokyo 2020.
“My whole life turned on its head the moment I won the bronze medal at Buenos Aires 2018,” Chithravel said. “I got the much-needed sponsorships and two months later, I got selected for the senior Asian championships.
“It was a proud moment for me personally and felt the same pride when Neeraj Chopra won the gold medal in the javelin throw at Tokyo Olympics. It was the best moment of my life and a good start for my career.”
Next, Praveen Chithravel, who hails from Tamil Nadu but calls the Inspire Institute of Sports (IIS) in Vijayanagar his new home, will take part in the national jumps competition at the IIS Vijayanagar on March 2.
“I have been training here at the IIS Vijayanagar for more than four years now,” Chithravel said. “I go home just once a year, otherwise this place is my everything.”