Sumit Antil asks Neeraj Chopra at the Trailblazers 4.0

For India’s Olympic champion, Neeraj Chopra, 2025 wasn’t the best of years. Injuries haunted the star javelin thrower as he missed out on the podium after seven years, finishing eighth at the Tokyo World Athletics Championships. For someone who has been at the top of the sport for more than half a decade, it is particularly difficult to cope with such adversity. But that is the reality of any sport – and champions do bounce back.

At the Trailblazers 4.0 Conclave, when we set out to conduct a panel titled ‘Decoding the Champion Mindset’, this very theme took centre stage. The panel featured Neeraj (virtually), two-time Paralympic gold medallist Sumit Antil, two-time Paralympic silver medallist Yogesh Kathuniya, along with leading corporate voices such as Gaurav Jajodia, Director of Jai Balaji Group, and WoW! Momo CEO Sagar Daryani.

While the entire conversation is available on the RevSportz YouTube and X handles, this piece focuses on a singular aspect – the champion mindset in dealing with adversity – which emerged from an interaction between Neeraj and Sumit, two athletes who share immense respect for one another.

After the Paris Paralympics, we at RevSportz tried something unique – letting athletes step into the role of journalists. Nishad Kumar, the high jump silver medallist, donned the journalist’s hat to interview Sumit. The segment gained significant traction, with athletes candidly engaging in conversation. We recreated a similar concept at the Conclave.

Sumit took on the role of interviewer and, after initially asking Neeraj about his inspirations, posed a more probing question:

“It was perhaps for the first time since 2017 that you finished outside the podium (Tokyo World Athletics Championships 2025). It must have been tough, because winning becomes a habit. I know such a time will come in my career as well. How did you deal with that moment?”

The question clearly came from one athlete to another – someone who could truly understand the situation and see himself in his fellow competitor’s position.

DECODING THE CHAMPION MINDSET

Setting up the Nagoya Asian and Asian Para Games 2026, and beyond.

Hear it from the champions themselves — #NeerajChopra, #SumitAntil, and #YogeshKathuniya — alongside leading corporate voices like #GauravJajodia and #SagarDaryani.

Together, we… pic.twitter.com/YhlWQEEE48

— RevSportz Global (@RevSportzGlobal) March 23, 2026

Neeraj responded, “It’s a good question, and I know you asked it as an athlete – because honestly, no one has asked me this before.

“First of all, it did affect me a little, thinking about how many years I had maintained that consistency. It was always either gold or silver; a medal was almost certain wherever I competed.”

He continued, “But somewhere, I already had an idea. About two weeks before, I had picked up a back injury. Still, I pushed myself hard to recover because it was the World Championship. If it had been any other competition, I might have let it go. But when it’s something like the World Championship or the Olympics, representing your country, you still want to try – because you might only get another chance in two to four years.”

In a panel centred on the champion mindset, this was precisely the kind of insight the audience hoped to hear.

Neeraj added, “So I decided to give it everything. There was some improvement, but during the competition, suddenly my blocking leg got stuck. Even in the final, I felt pain. At that point, I told myself – I’m already here, I’m on the field, I can’t step away. I have to push as much as I can.

“Somewhere along the way, I realised it’s just not my day. And on top of that, it started raining, and we all know how difficult those conditions can be. Still, I kept pushing. But I also accepted it quite quickly. I wasn’t very sad, because I knew there was a genuine reason. The injury played its part.”

With the Asian Games scheduled for October, Neeraj is now eyeing a major comeback. “Now, I’m looking at 2026 as a comeback year,” he said. “It’s not just about winning again – I want to come back, and I want to come back strong. We’ve always seen strong comebacks, and that’s how I’m approaching this phase.

“Whenever I open my season this year, I’ll be ready. Right now, I’m preparing for that.” As the auditorium erupted in applause, perhaps Sumit had his answer.

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The post Sumit Antil Turns Interviewer, Asks Neeraj Chopra the Question No One Else Did appeared first on Sports News Portal | Revsportz.

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