2024 Reporter Diaries: An understanding of superstition ft. Neeraj Chopra and Arshad Nadeem -Jonathan Selvaraj, Sportstar

This reporter has been covering sports for well over a decade now. In a profession where luck plays an oversized role, it’s hard not to pick up a few superstitions along the way. One such superstition is to avoid taking pictures with sportspersons before competitions. What began as a way to maintain a professional distance from the athletes eventually turned into a belief that it might help avoid jinxing them before their event.  

This has generally held true, whether the athlete was Indian or international.  

Ahead of the Paris Olympics, though, this reporter admits to wavering. Although Neeraj Chopra entered as the defending champion, he had been dealing with a persistent groin niggle, the severity of which his team was doing its best to conceal.  

Meanwhile, Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem was recovering from his own injury issues – he had undergone knee surgery earlier that year. Although his modest throw of 84.11m earned him fourth place at the Paris Diamond League in his only competition before the 2024 Olympics, the progression of his throws in that event suggested he was slowly but surely regaining ominous form. It was clear he would pose a serious threat to Neeraj.  

In Paris for the Olympics, on this reporter’s first day at the Stade de France athletics stadium, a familiar hulking figure was spotted in one of the stands – it was Arshad, and his coach. There was no real dislike for Arshad; this reporter had even translated for him at the World Championships in Budapest the previous year, where he won silver behind Neeraj. One of the things he said in Urdu back then was how happy he was that he and Neeraj had placed in the top two at the World Championships and how he hoped they would repeat the same result at the Olympics.  

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Pranay Rajiv: When smog couldn’t stop a special 10-wicket haul in a Ranji game

Ayan Acharya: A memorable World Cup with storms of all kinds

Neeladri Bhattacharjee: Asian Cup sees Doha become a carnival of music, food and football philosophies

Dhruva Prasad: Agartala’s charm brings fans and stars closer together in Ranji Trophy

Shayan Acharya: A milestone match set against the snow-capped brilliance of Dharamsala

Santadeep Dey:  Trysts of a laid-back Bong with the languid charms of domestic cricket

Aashin Prasad: Hoping for one regular day of Indian football

While Neeraj had been the clear winner over Arshad in Budapest, the competition between the two was expected to be much closer in Paris. Hoping for Neeraj to win another gold in a 1-2 finish in favour of the Indian, just as it was at the World Championships, this reporter decided to attempt a bit of jinxing and approached Arshad.  

After a quick introduction, Arshad recognised this reporter as a journalist from India.  

“Arshad bhai, aik photo le sakte hain?”  

He agreed, and thus this reporter was able to take his first pre-event picture with an athlete.  

When Arshad made the Olympic finals with a qualifying throw less than Neeraj’s, it almost seemed there might be something to the superstition.  

A couple of days later, however, this reporter was reminded that superstitions are just that. In his second throw of the Olympic final, Arshad set an Olympic record with a throw of 92.97m. Up until that moment – especially after his performance in the qualifying round – most Indian journalists were fairly optimistic about Neeraj’s chances of winning a second Olympic gold. But the moment Arshad’s throw landed beyond the 90m mark, it became evident that the competition was over.  

Neeraj followed with his season’s best, but Arshad was simply too good on that day.  

Neeraj’s Olympic silver was the best result for an Indian athlete at the Games, but when he came down to the mixed zone after his competition, the atmosphere felt almost as if he had finished outside the podium.  

It seemed even Neeraj felt bad for the journalists waiting for him. “Aap log toh khush hain na? (You guys are happy, right?)” he asked.  

The Paris Games over, this reporter still avoids taking pictures with athletes before competitions, although there are no longer any superstitions about it. However, on reflection, it is amusing to note that the one time this reporter took a pre-event picture with an athlete, he went on to win Olympic gold – raising the question of whether Arshad was inadvertently reverse-jinxed into Olympic history.  

What to expect in 2025

Even though he is the most accomplished individual Olympian for India, it is clear Neeraj is still smarting from being beaten to the top of the Olympic podium. It’s unlikely he will settle for the current state of affairs.  

The 2025 season will bring multiple changes for Neeraj. His longtime coach, Klaus Bartonietz, retired right after the Olympics, and Neeraj has since started working with World Record holder and three-time Olympic champion Jan Zelezny.

While 2025 will feature important competitions like the Asian Championships and the World Championships in Japan, perhaps one of Neeraj’s top priorities will be to cross the 90m barrier as soon as possible. While he has been remarkably consistent over the last six years, Chopra has spoken about the mental boost that knowing he can throw over 90m would provide – especially in high-pressure situations like those at the Paris Olympics.  

However, it’s not just Neeraj that inspires high hopes. India currently has seven javelin throwers who all threw over 80m in 2024. Among them, perhaps the biggest prospect is Sachin Yadav. Although he is a relatively late starter to the sport – only in his fourth year of competition – he has already achieved 84.11m (at the Police Games in New Delhi).  

With a similar build and run-up to Arshad, it wouldn’t be surprising if 2025 turns out to be Sachin’s breakout year.