Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra reaffirmed his dominance in men's javelin throw, securing gold at the Federation Cup amidst a subdued start. Despite a slow beginning in his first competitive appearance on Indian soil in three years, Chopra showcased his prowess, seizing the lead in the fourth round with an impressive 82.27m throw. With DP Manu settling for silver, Chopra opted out of his final two attempts, confident in his position atop the leaderboard.
Representing Haryana, Chopra's victory underscored his status as a stalwart in the sport. Karnataka's Manu trailed closely with an 82.06m effort, while Maharashtra's Uttam Balasaheb Patil secured third place with a throw of 78.39m. However, local hero Kishore Jena, despite his Asian Games silver medal, faltered to fifth place with a disappointing 75.49m performance.
In the women's category, SS Sneha of Karnataka claimed the title of the fastest woman of the meet, clocking 11.63 seconds in the 100m sprint. She was trailed by Giridhrani Ravi of Tamil Nadu and Srabani Nanda of Odisha. Meanwhile, Gurindervir Singh of Punjab clinched gold in the men's 100m dash with a time of 10.35 seconds, followed by Odisha's Animesh Kujur and Punjab's Harjit Singh.
While the men's triple jump event boasted top athletes from across the nation, the competition failed to reach remarkable heights. Despite this, Chopra's triumphant return to Indian soil captivated fans and reaffirmed his status as a javelin throw icon.
