The Golden Boy of India, Neeraj Chopra acquired this name after historically winning his Olympic gold medal in Javelin and becoming the first Indian and Asian Olympian to win a gold medal in athletics. The 2020 Tokyo Olympics was auspicious for every Indian as our javelin representative won the gold medal with a throw of 87.58 m in his second attempt. This feat positioned him as the second-ranked athlete internationally in the men’s javelin throw.
Born 24th of December, 1997, Neeraj Chopra hails from Khandra, Haryana. He completed his education in Chandigarh and Jalandhar. Hailing from a joint family of 17 members, Chopra was under pressure to lose weight. His father Satish Kumar Chopra took the initiative to discipline a mischievous Neeraj. His uncle took him to Panipat Shivaji Stadium which was around 14 km from his village. At 14, he joined the sports nursery at the Tau Devi Lal Sports Complex in Panchkula.
He was appointed as a Junior Commissioned Officer in the Rajputana rifles with the rank of Naib Subedar after his performance at the South Asian Games. He has a list of awards and honors in his name like the highest sporting honor of India, Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award, and the esteemed Arjuna Award. Apart from this, he is also the recipient of the Vishisht Seva Medal, Param Vishisht Seva Medal, and the fourth highest civilian honor i.e., Padma Shri.
Neeraj Chopra broke his national record at the Stockholm Diamond League with a throw of 89.94m in July of 2022. In May of 2023. He achieved the first position in the men’s javelin throw rankings issued by World Athletics. He qualified for the 2023 World Championship on 8th September by a throw of 88.44m.
Neeraj Chopra injured his groin in the 2017 Zurich Diamond League Championship. In 2019, he underwent arthroscopic surgery on his elbow.
Neeraj Chopra Asian Games
Neeraj Chopra debuted at the Asian Games in 2018. Before that, he had participated in the 2015 Asian Championships and positioned 9th with a throw of 70.50m. In 2016, he participated in the Asian Under 20 Championship and won a silver medal with a throw of 77.60m. In the same year, he secured the first position in the World U20 Championship with a throw of 86.48m. He won the 2017 Asian championships with an 85.23m throw. In 2018, he participated in the Asian Games for the first time and acquired a gold with a throw of 88.06m. In 2023, he returned to the Asian Games and acquired first place with a throw of 88.88 m.
Neeraj Chopra Lausanne Diamond League Meet 2022
2022 marked the year when Neeraj Chopra became the first Indian Victor of a Diamond League meet. He threw the javelin at an impressive distance of 89.08 meters. This exceptional display secured his spot in the Diamond League Final and earned him qualification for the World Athletics Championship in 2023.