NEW DELHI: “Maine waha se start kiya hai jaha se log finish karte hain [I have started where others finish]” – that is how hammer thrower Nirbhay Chaudhary looks at his national record-breaking performance. He threw 71.02m at the Indian Athletics Series Final this October, breaking a national record that had stood for almost 10 years.His throw erased the previous record of 70.73m, set by Neeraj Kumar in 2016.Despite the record, Nirbhay was not fully satisfied with his effort. After releasing the hammer, he initially thought of stepping out of the circle so that the throw would not be counted. However, he changed his mind.A few moments later, he heard the noise around him. When he asked his coach what had happened, he was told that he had broken the national record.“I had made that throw casually. I did not think it would be a record-breaking effort. I had not even used much power. I never expected the hammer to travel so far or that I would break the national record. I don’t know how it went that far,” Nirbhay told TimesofIndia.com in an exclusive interview.For Nirbhay, whose name means ‘fearless’, the national record is only the beginning. He now wants to cross 75m and eventually reach the 80m mark.“This is just the beginning. I am really proud of this performance. It has given me a new beginning. I have started where others finish,” he said.
The wall of inspiration: From 70m + to 75m
A few months ago, Nirbhay returned to his room after a tiring practice session. He was covered in sweat, but the session had not gone as planned. He was struggling to perform, and his body was getting tired quickly as he recovered from dengue.His family was also worried about his future in athletics. Frustrated and angry, Nirbhay picked up a marker and wrote a target on the wall beside his bed: “70 + national record”. He also set a deadline for himself – September 10. He then prepared a training schedule and followed it closely. His routine included waking up early, cleaning his hammer, stretching, working out, running and practising his throws with full power.He achieved his target on the date he had set. After breaking the national record, he crossed out 70m on the wall and replaced it with 75m.“I have crossed out 70 and written 75. I will achieve that target too. It is true that there is no substitute for hard work. I believe in that. I am also stubborn. When I work hard with determination, I get what I want. I will continue to do that,” Nirbhay said.He revealed that he had written the target on the wall last year, when he was going through a difficult phase.“I had written it last year. I was very frustrated at that time. My family was also worried because my physical condition had become very poor. Everyone was asking me to continue with the sport, even if I could only do a little.
Nirbhay Chaudhary (Image credit: Special arrangement)
“I know what condition I was in. And it has taken a year for this to happen. But the happiness I feel now cannot be bought. The feeling is surreal. But I won’t stop,” he said.Nirbhay believes one more season of hard work can help him make a big jump in his performance.“I just need one more season. I can achieve a big mark after that. 75m is my main target right now, and then I want to reach 80m. It will require a lot of hard work, but I am sure I will be able to do it,” he said.
71.02m is not enough: A long way to go
Nirbhay knows that 71.02m is not enough to compete at the biggest international events. Even though his throw was above the Asian Games qualification mark of 69.12m, he missed the opportunity to compete at the Asian Games because of the timing of the qualification process and the deadlines involved.“Practice was going on. The qualification issue was actually about dates. It depends on the host country. If the host sends an invitation or agrees to accommodate you, then things can be worked out, even if you are late. But there is a deadline for everything.“There is a fixed time for it. By the time that deadline passed, I was not competing. I was only preparing for practice and other things. I had not even thought about whether I would go or not. We could not make a decision in time, so it did not happen. I could not go,” he said.Nirbhay believes Indian hammer throw needs to improve its standards. While athletes in other events have raised their levels, he wants to bring the same change to hammer throw.“I feel I can take hammer throw forward in India. We need to change things. Neeraj (Chopra) bhai has set an example for everyone in javelin. I want to do the same in hammer throw. He first crossed 70m, then 80m, 85m and now 90m. I want to achieve similar milestones in hammer throw,” Nirbhay said.“The standard of hammer throw in India has been very low for a long time. I want to raise that standard. I also want other athletes who are currently behind to reach that level. I want to see more youngsters take up hammer throw as a career and more athletes come into the event,” he said.
Nirbhay Chaudhary (Image credit: Special arrangement)
Nirbhay’s Olympic dreams
India has never had an Olympic medal in hammer throw. The country has also had very few representatives in the event at the Games.Somnath Chopra represented India at the 1948 Summer Olympics and finished 23rd in the qualifying round. Erman Bastian represented India at the 1960 Summer Olympics but did not start his event.Praveen Kumar Sobti, who later became famous for playing Bheem in the television series Mahabharat, represented India at the 1968 Summer Olympics. He finished 20th in the qualifying round.India has won five medals in hammer throw at the Asian Games, including two silver and three bronze. Somnath Chopra and Kishen Singh won silver and bronze respectively at the 1951 Games. Praveen Kumar added another bronze in 1966, while Nirmal Singh Grewal won silver in 1974. Manju Bala was India’s most recent hammer throw medallist, winning bronze at the 2014 Asian Games.India has won just one hammer throw medal in Commonwealth Games history. Praveen Kumar Sobti won silver at the 1966 Commonwealth Games in Kingston.For Nirbhay, breaking the national record is only the first step. He wants to take Indian hammer throw to a higher level and believes the country can win an Olympic medal in the event. The Olympic qualification mark for the 2028 Los Angeles Games is 78.50m.“Why can’t we win an Olympic medal? As I said, we need to set an example. I can be that example. I really want to put hammer throw on India’s map of Olympic medal-winning events. India can win an Olympic medal in hammer throw. We just need one example, one athlete who achieves something big. After that, the path will become easier for others.“Now I have almost all the facilities I need. I get support from the Athletics Federation and SAI. My coaches, including Naval Singh, have given their best. I have the equipment and everything else I need. So I will do it. I believe in myself. I will achieve this,” he said.
