Antil, who hails from Sonipat, Haryana, lost his left leg below the knee in a motorcycle accident in 2015. Despite this setback, he has been very successful in the sport, holding the world record of 73.29m and improving. own Paralympic best of 68.55m set in Tokyo three years ago.
The 26-year-old said that he and Chopra maintain regular contact, speaking at least once a month to discuss sports and strategies for improvement.
Chopra’s guidance, especially his recommendation not to try anything new during the competition, proved instrumental to Antil’s success. By heeding this advice, Antil became the first Indian and the second from the country to defend his Paralympic title.
“I didn’t talk to Neeraj bhai personally before the Paris Games. I got a message from Neeraj bhai through someone (Antill’s athletics manager). He said that the atmosphere is great (in Paris) and it will be a good experience but don’t try anything- what’s new
“I just took it and it was a great experience for me at the Paris Paralympics,” Antil said during a virtual media interaction, as quoted by PTI on Tuesday.
“Neeraj bhai and I keep in touch with each other, I keep in touch with him once in a fortnight or a month. Whenever we talk to each other, it’s about our sport, like we have to do our best and bring laurels to the country.”
Asked why Chopra gave such advice, Antil said, “Athletes can feel nervous on a big stage and it’s hard to stay focused on the technique. He (Neeraj) always has his mind and he doesn’t want me to suffer. That’s it.
“Sometimes the technique you do on the ground (during training) doesn’t come out (during competition). The javelin throw is an event where technique is very important.”
Antil had the opportunity to compete alongside Neeraj Chopra, Tokyo Olympic champion and Paris Games silver medalist, in the Indian Grand Prix series 3 held in Patiala on March 5, 2021. The competition featured strong athletes, and Antil showed his skills. between.
Antil took seventh place with a best throw of 66.43m. On the other hand, Chopra put up an incredible performance, breaking her own national record by throwing 88.07m.
“Yes, I have gone there (Patiala in 2021) to find out what is the difference between para athletes and strong athletes, why para athletes can’t do better. There, I set the para world record of 66.43m.
“There is a lot of difference in performance from that time to now. At that time, I had thrown from 66m once in a while, but now I am constantly producing 69m, 70m and 71m. I am trying to exceed 75m in the next one or two years. .”
Look at the hat-trick in LA28
His goal for the coming years is to achieve a hat-trick of gold medals at the Los Angeles Paralympics in 2028.
“To reach the top once is easy but it is very difficult to stay at the top. But I am focused on the top competitions like next year’s World Para Athletics Championships which will be held in India. We are focused (short term) on that,” said Antil who has also won F64 gold in the 2023 and 2024 World Para Athletics Championships.
Category F64 is for athletes with lower limb problems, including those using prosthetics or affected by leg length differences.
“Usually in our game, our peak time is when we are 31-32 years old. I have won gold back-to-back in Tokyo and Paris and I will try to score a hat-trick in Los Angeles.”
Her “dream target” is to surpass the 80m mark, a challenging feat even for the nation’s strong javelin throwers.
“One day, I want to cross 80m, I want to feel how I feel when I cross that mark,” he said.
About how he stays focused and overcomes pressure, Antil said, “To experience pressure is normal on a big stage and we try not to stress because of pressure. I read less books but I do meditation, watch movies.
“I prefer sports films like the one made on the 1983 World Cup or something like ‘Bhaag Milkha Bhaag’ before the competition.”
World champion Antilles is only the second Indian, after shooter Avani Lekhara, to defend her Paralympic title. Avani won gold in the women’s SH1 10m air rifle event in Paris, after winning the same event at the Tokyo Olympics.
Antil has also joined the elite trio from India who have won two Paralympic gold medals. Besides Antil and Avani, the third member is Devendra Jhajharia, the current President of the Paralympic Committee of India, who won gold in the F46 javelin at the Athens 2004 and Rio 2016 Games.
In addition to his success at the Paralympics, Antil has won gold at the World Para Athletics Championships in 2023 and 2024, and was on the podium at the Asian Para Games in Hangzhou, China, last year.
