Neeraj Chopra clears the air after Indian athletics boss alleges interference from JSW Sports
Chopra, the Asian and Commonwealth Games gold medallist, is supported by JSW Sports.
By Akshay Sawai, ET Bureau | Updated:
Agencies
Javelin star Neeraj Chopra clears the air after Indian athletics boss Adille Sumariwalla alleges interference from JSW Sports in Chopra’s training plan.
Athletics Federation of India (AFI) president Adille Sumariwalla on Wednesday accused JSW Sports of interference in the coaching and participation schedule of javelin star Neeraj Chopra. He suggested JSW’s decisions led to Chopra’s poor performance in the 2017 Athletics World Championships in London.
Chopra, the Asian and Commonwealth Games gold medallist, is supported by JSW Sports, the sports initiative of the Jindal Group. He is also coached and guided by AFIappointed experts.
Chopra told ETPanache on phone, “I did not have a coach at the time (mid-2017) and decided to take some training in Germany. There was a slight misunderstanding and a bit of a clash at that time (between AFI and JSW). There is no other issue.”
JSW Sports CEO Mustafa Ghouse denied Sumariwalla’s charges, saying all decisions were taken in consultation with Chopra and his coach. He also pointed out that Chopra did not have an AFI-appointed coach in the period Sumariwalla was chiefly referring too — May to September 2017.
‘It messes up with the program’
On Wednesday, after a panel discussion on sports at the Mumbai Press Club, Sumariwalla told ETPanache, “I’m happy when people like the Jindals support our athletes. The problem starts when they interfere in the athletes’ training plan and competition schedule. It messes up with the program we have for the athlete.” Speaking about Chopra, Sumariwalla, a former Olympic sprinter, said, “They (JSW Sports) forced Neeraj to go to London before the (2017) World Championships. They forced him to go to a German coach who slightly changed his technique. And he did very poorly. Besides, JSW don’t communicate with us. They only communicate with Neeraj.”
No force applied
Asked what Chopra communicated to the AFI during that period, Sumariwalla said, “He told me, ‘Sir, abhi yeh ho gaya hai (this has been planned). My ticket is also booked. I can’t say no to them’.”
Sumariwalla further said, “What they (JSW) don’t understand is that the amount of years of experience we have compared to them is much more. For example, we got Uwe Hohn, the only man to have thrown the javelin over 100 metres, to coach Neeraj (since September 2017).”
Ghouse, a former National tennis champion, denied the charges. “Neeraj did not even have a coach going into the World Championships. So where is the question of us forcing him to go to another coach?” he said.
It is true that Chopra did not have a coach at the World Championships. His previous coach, the late Garry Calvert, left in May 2017, reportedly after differences with the AFI. The World Championships were held in August 2017. Chopra prepared for the event with a stint in Germany under coach Werner Daniels.
‘Happily worked with coach’
Ghouse said that JSW Sports “happily” worked with Calvert when he was coaching Chopra. “We were constantly in touch with Garry about whatever was required for Neeraj, just like we are with coaches of all our athletes,” he said. “Then Garry moved out. There was a full four months when there was no coach for Neeraj. In fact, we kept asking the AFI what the status was. Valuable time was getting lost.”
Ghouse said that the tournament schedule Chopra followed in 2017 was prepared in collaboration with Calvert. “Neeraj’s entry into the Diamond League meets had already been sent. Those events were going to be great exposure for Neeraj. He himself felt so and went ahead and competed in them. Besides, had he pulled out of the meets without a legitimate reason, like injury, he might not have been allowed to enter the next year.”
Further illustrating that JSW did not work in isolation with Chopra, Ghouse said that he was scheduled to meet Hohn, Chopra’s current, AFI-appointed coach, in Patiala in a few days. ET Panache again contacted Sumariwalla with the points made by Ghouse. He said that while he’d have to check exact details pertaining to the issue, he stood by his earlier charge of interference on the part of JSW Sports.
Athletics Federation of India (AFI) president Adille Sumariwalla on Wednesday accused JSW Sports of interference in the coaching and participation schedule of javelin star Neeraj Chopra. He suggested JSW’s decisions led to Chopra’s poor performance in the 2017 Athletics World Championships in London.
Chopra, the Asian and Commonwealth Games gold medallist, is supported by JSW Sports, the sports initiative of the Jindal Group. He is also coached and guided by AFIappointed experts.
Chopra told ETPanache on phone, “I did not have a coach at the time (mid-2017) and decided to take some training in Germany. There was a slight misunderstanding and a bit of a clash at that time (between AFI and JSW). There is no other issue.”
JSW Sports CEO Mustafa Ghouse denied Sumariwalla’s charges, saying all decisions were taken in consultation with Chopra and his coach. He also pointed out that Chopra did not have an AFI-appointed coach in the period Sumariwalla was chiefly referring too — May to September 2017.
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‘It messes up with the program’
On Wednesday, after a panel discussion on sports at the Mumbai Press Club, Sumariwalla told ETPanache, “I’m happy when people like the Jindals support our athletes. The problem starts when they interfere in the athletes’ training plan and competition schedule. It messes up with the program we have for the athlete.” Speaking about Chopra, Sumariwalla, a former Olympic sprinter, said, “They (JSW Sports) forced Neeraj to go to London before the (2017) World Championships. They forced him to go to a German coach who slightly changed his technique. And he did very poorly. Besides, JSW don’t communicate with us. They only communicate with Neeraj.”
No force applied
Asked what Chopra communicated to the AFI during that period, Sumariwalla said, “He told me, ‘Sir, abhi yeh ho gaya hai (this has been planned). My ticket is also booked. I can’t say no to them’.”
Sumariwalla further said, “What they (JSW) don’t understand is that the amount of years of experience we have compared to them is much more. For example, we got Uwe Hohn, the only man to have thrown the javelin over 100 metres, to coach Neeraj (since September 2017).”
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Ghouse, a former National tennis champion, denied the charges. “Neeraj did not even have a coach going into the World Championships. So where is the question of us forcing him to go to another coach?” he said.
It is true that Chopra did not have a coach at the World Championships. His previous coach, the late Garry Calvert, left in May 2017, reportedly after differences with the AFI. The World Championships were held in August 2017. Chopra prepared for the event with a stint in Germany under coach Werner Daniels.
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‘Happily worked with coach’
Ghouse said that JSW Sports “happily” worked with Calvert when he was coaching Chopra. “We were constantly in touch with Garry about whatever was required for Neeraj, just like we are with coaches of all our athletes,” he said. “Then Garry moved out. There was a full four months when there was no coach for Neeraj. In fact, we kept asking the AFI what the status was. Valuable time was getting lost.”
Ghouse said that the tournament schedule Chopra followed in 2017 was prepared in collaboration with Calvert. “Neeraj’s entry into the Diamond League meets had already been sent. Those events were going to be great exposure for Neeraj. He himself felt so and went ahead and competed in them. Besides, had he pulled out of the meets without a legitimate reason, like injury, he might not have been allowed to enter the next year.”
Further illustrating that JSW did not work in isolation with Chopra, Ghouse said that he was scheduled to meet Hohn, Chopra’s current, AFI-appointed coach, in Patiala in a few days. ET Panache again contacted Sumariwalla with the points made by Ghouse. He said that while he’d have to check exact details pertaining to the issue, he stood by his earlier charge of interference on the part of JSW Sports.
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