There is a cautious ring of hype around Neeraj Chopra. Prudence would be the right word, after all, he is the one and only genuine hope India has at the 2023 World Championships; Murali Sreeshankar and Jeswin Aldrin might get a tad offended, but would also appreciate that Chopra has been on the podium multiple times—from the Olympic gold to the Diamond League and then the World silver at Eugene, not counting the pre-Tokyo Asian Athletic Championships and Asian Games.

Javelin, with its intricate complexity, tedious technicality and extensive preparation, is always under a shroud of secrecy when it comes to Chopra. There is a certain elusiveness to him. The optics with NC are almost always chimerical. Fan and media interactions have been largely at international tournaments, and so rarely in person—and that adds to the superstar athlete’s aura.