Neeraj Chopra is an Indian track and field athlete who is a professional javelin thrower. He was born on December 24, 1997 in Khandra Village, Panipat district, Haryana. His mother’s name is Saroj Devi and his father’s name is Satish Kumar Chopra. He has two sisters, Sangeeta and Sarita.
First Indian Track and Field Athlete to win gold in Olympic
By winning gold medal in the Tokyo Olympics 2020, he has become the first Indian Track and Field Athlete to win gold in Olympics with a javelin throw of 87.58m. He is also the second individual Indian player to clinch gold. He has not only created history with this win, but he has also risen to number 2nd among world athletes. It was his first-time taking part in Olympics and with his hard work and dedication, he has made the whole nation proud of his achievement. He dedicated his medal to Indian track and field sprinter, late Milkha Singh.
Moreover, he also thanked the whole nation for their prayers and support throughout his Olympic journey. Apart from this big win in Olympics, he has 7 more gold medals, 4 silver medals and one bronze medal in national and international sports events held between 2016 to 2018.
Neeraj Chopra – World and National Records
Neeraj Chopra participated in Junior Nationals in Lucknow in 2012. With a throw of 68.46 m., he created a new National Record. During World Junior championships 2016, Neeraj Chopra amazed everyone by setting a world record with a throw of 86.48. In 2018 during Asian Games in Jakarta, he set a then new Indian National Record by throwing javelin at the record-breaking distance of 88.06m. At the Indian Grand Prix in 2021, he broke his own record with a throw of 88.07m.
Honours and Rewards
In 2017, Neeraj Chopra was among the 30 young achievers awarded at its flagship event called, ‘Top 30 under 30’. After his incredible performances and achievements, he was honoured with Arjuna Award by President Kovind in 2018. In 2021, he was honored with Vishisht Seva Medal and Sportsman of the Decade Awards . The winner sportspersons of this event were assessed based on their performance from 2011 to 2020.
A Proud Army Officer
Along with being a star athlete, Neeraj Chopra is an army officer too. He was directly recruited as a Junior Commissioned Officer in the Indian army in 2016. This rank is not usually given to athletes directly, but Neeraj Chopra became an exception because of his marvellous performance at South Asian Games. He was later promoted to subedar rank.
How Neeraj Chopra discovered his talent?
To stay fit and to overcome overweight, Neeraj Chopra started going to Panipat’s stadium to do running during vacations. He used to go by bus travelling 17 k.m. far and he used to come back home with his uncle. During this time, he came in contact with a Javelin thrower, Jaiveer Choudhary. When he started practising Javelin throw with him for the first time, this practice made him realize that he could throw javelin at very far distance. He got support from his family members to make Javelin his career. Initially, he faced some difficulties in continuing with this journey.
One of those difficulties was the lack of facilities at his village. There was no playground or any coach from whom he could train. The stadium of Panipat city was also not suitable for continuing his practice. Because of that, he had to relocate to Sports Nursery of Panchkula at the age of 14. After years of practice, he never turned back and kept improving his skills by practising with his senior players and learning from his coaches. The secret of his success are his struggle, hard work and the hunger to do best with each passing day.
Conclusion
Even after receiving so many awards and becoming a gold medalist, Neeraj Chopra has never become egoistic. The humbleness in his behavior and voice a few years back, can still be seen. He is devoted to his passion for bringing laurels to his nation. He is inspiration for all youngsters, especially for those who want to do something for their nation but lack facilities and support. We believe that if youth learn from his passion to do something big for their nation and works hard, our nation can become world leader in the field of sports. May Almighty bless this young hero of the nation with more spirits and dedication, so that he keeps enlightening India’s name in the whole world.
