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Neeraj Chopra

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Neeraj Chopra (born December 24, 1997, Panipat, Haryana, India) is an Indian track-and-field athlete who shot to fame after earning a gold medal at the 2016 IAAF World U20 Championships in Bydgoszcz , Poland, and further secured his position as a leading athlete by winning the men’s javelin throw event at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games , held in 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic . Chopra became the first Indian track-and-field athlete to win Olympic gold and became the second Indian, after marksman Abhinav Bindra (2008), to win an individual Olympic gold medal. After becoming the world champion in the men’s javelin throw at the 2023 World Athletics Championship in Budapest , he is looking to defend his gold medal at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

Born to Satish Kumar, a farmer, and Saroj Devi, a homemaker, in Khandra village in the district of Panipat in Haryana state, Neeraj Chopra is the eldest of three siblings. He grew up in an extended family of 19, which included three uncles. When he was a teenager, Chopra’s family worried that he was overweight and encouraged him to join a gymnasium in Panipat for regular exercise. After his training sessions, Chopra would spend time at the nearby Shivaji Stadium and watch other children his age throw the javelin. Chopra showed natural talent for the sport and befriended athletes on the track. When Chopra’s family learned about his interest in javelin, they encouraged him even though no one in their village was familiar with the sport. After training for a year at Shivaji Stadium, he moved to Tau Devi Lal Sports Complex in Panchkula, Haryana state, training with coach Naseem Ahmad.

Chopra became the under-16 national champion in javelin by 2012, and in the following years he won more medals at the national level. His first international medal was a silver at the Youth Olympic Games qualification competition in Bangkok in 2014. In 2016 Chopra won gold medals at the South Asian Games in Guwahati , Assam state, India; the Grand Prix in Lokeren, Belgium; and the IAAF (International Association of Athletics Federations) World U20 Championships in Bydgoszcz, Poland (the IAAF became known as World Athletics in 2019). His throw in the final in Bydgoszcz, 86.48 meters (283.73 feet), set an under-20 record. In 2017 Chopra placed first in the Asian Athletics Championships in Bhubaneshwar , Odisha state, India .

When he was 19, Chopra was offered a job with the Indian Army as a junior commission officer. “We are farmers, nobody in the family has a government job and my family has been supporting me with difficulty,” Chopra told the Press Trust of India . “But it is a sort of relief now that I am able to support my family financially besides continuing with my training.” In the army, Chopra was selected for its Mission Olympics Wing initiative and continued to train for competitions. The following table lists some of Chopra’s key achievements.

Speaking about his Olympic win to Vogue India , Chopra said: “Now everyone in India knows what a javelin is. I’m most happy about that.”

In 2018 Chopra won a gold medal in the Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast , Queensland, Australia, and the Asian Games in Jakarta . In 2021 at the Tokyo Olympics, Chopra was considered a dark horse in a field of tough competitors. However, he had a strong throw of 86.65 meters in the qualifying round, and in the final he won the gold medal with a throw of 87.58 meters (287.34 feet), making him India’s first gold medalist in track and field and the nation’s second individual Olympic gold medalist. The first was Abhinav Bindra in the 10-meter air rifle event at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games . “It feels unbelievable,” Chopra said after winning the Olympic gold medal. “This is our first Olympic medal for a very long time.…It’s a proud moment for me and my country.” His victory earned him praise from all quarters, including congratulatory posts on Twitter (now X ) from the Indian president and the prime minister . Later that year, Chopra became the first male athlete to be featured on the cover of Vogue India . Speaking about his Olympic win, he said, “Now everyone in India knows what a javelin is. I’m most happy about that.” That’s no small feat in a nation where cricket is far and away the dominant sport. Chopra went on to sign endorsement deals with a host of companies, including Gillette India and Tata AIA Life Insurance, and has become an Instagram influencer with more than eight million followers. Today he is as popular as cricket stars and Bollywood actors in India.

Chopra holds the national record with an 89.94-meter (295.08-foot) throw, also his best attempt to date, achieved at the Stockholm Diamond League 2022 competition. Despite struggling with injury in 2023, he won two gold medals that year: one at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest and a second at the Asian Games in Hangzhou , China. Training at the Gloria Sports Arena in Antalya , Turkey, under coach and biomechanics expert Klaus Bartonietz, who was also his coach at the Tokyo Olympics, Chopra is expected to compete in the 2024 Diamond League season in May 2024 and is expected to defend his Olympic gold in the Paris Olympic Games later in the year.

Neeraj Chopra Biography

Birthday: December 24 , 1997 ( Capricorn )

Born In: Khandra, Panipat district Khandra, Haryana, India

Neeraj Chopra is an Indian javelin thrower who won a gold medal at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics with a throw of 87.58m. With this, he became the first track and field athlete and second individual sportsperson to win an Olympic gold for India. Furthermore, he became the only Indian to win gold on his Olympic debut and the youngest individual Indian gold medalist as well. A farmer’s son who had turned to sports to shed weight, he was always eager to take notes from senior athletes and began to show promise from his youth career. He became the first Indian athlete to win the U-20 World Championships in track and field. He also won gold at the South Asian Games, the Asian Athletics Championships, the Commonwealth Games, and the Asian Games.

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Also Known As: Neeraj Chopada

Age: 26 Years , 26 Year Old Males

father: Satish Kumar

mother: Saroj Devi

Born Country: India

Javelin Throwers Indian Men

Notable Alumni: DAV College, Chandigarh

City: Haryana, India

education: DAV College, Chandigarh

awards: Arjuna Award for Athletics

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Neeraj Chopra was born on December 24, 1997 in Khandra village, Panipat district, Haryana, India to farmer Satish Kumar and housewife Saroj Devi. He is the eldest child in a joint family of 17 and has two sisters.

Weighing 90 kg at 12, he was often teased by other kids, which prompted his father to enroll him in a basic gymnasium at Madlauda, from where he eventually shifted to a gym at Panipat. One day, at the nearby Panipat Sports Authority of India center, he impressed javelin thrower Jaiveer Singh with his first throw of 40 meters, following which the latter started training him.

About a year later, he began training javelin throw and long-distance running under coach Naseem Ahmad at the Tau Devi Lal Sports Complex in Panchkula. With a national record throw of 68.40 meters, he was able to clinch the 2012 junior nationals in Lucknow.

Neeraj Chopra’s first international competition was the World Youth Championships in Ukraine in 2013, but he won his first international medal, a silver, at the Youth Olympics Qualification in Bangkok the next year. He surpassed 70 meters at the 2014 senior nationals and 80 meters at the 2015 All India Inter-University Athletics Meet, following which he earned a call to the national camp.

He touched the Indian national record of 84.23m at the 2016 South Asian Games, securing a gold medal, and subsequently won silver at the 2016 Asian Junior Athletics Championships. In July that year, he set a world junior record and earned another gold medal in the 2016 IAAF World U20 Championships in Bydgoszcz, Poland, but missed the 2016 Summer Olympics cut-off date narrowly.

His next gold medal came from a throw of 85.23m at the 2017 Asian Athletics Championships, followed by another from his season-best effort of 86.47m on his debut at the 2018 Commonwealth Games. In May that year, he set a new national record at the Doha Diamond League with an 87.43m throw.

Neeraj Chopra, who made his first appearance at the Asian Games in August 2018, served as the flag-bearer for the Indian contingent and secured a gold medal with an impressive 88.06m throw. With this, he earned the first gold for India in javelin throw at the Asian Games and also surpassed his previous national record.

An elbow injury in his throwing arm forced him to undergo surgery in Mumbai on May 2, 2019, the day after the qualifying competitions for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics begun. Five months later, instead of resuming training with “eternal world record” holder Uwe Hohn, he went to Potchefstroom in South Africa to train with bio-mechanics expert Klaus Bartonietz.

Returning to international competition, he qualified for the upcoming Tokyo Olympics with a throw of 87.86 meters in the ACNW League Meeting in Potchefstroom in January 2020. A year later in March 2021, he improved his previous national record with an 88.07m throw, followed by a gold medal win at his first international game that season in Lisbon, Portugal.

On his debut representing India at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Neeraj Chopra registered a throw of 86.65m on August 4, 2021 to qualify for the men's javelin throw final. On August 7, 2021, he secured the gold medal with an 87.58m throw, becoming the first Indian Olympic gold medalist in athletics and the second individual gold medalist from India.

In 2016, Neeraj Chopra was selected as a Junior Commissioned Officer in the Indian Army on the Naib Subedar rank.

In 2018, Neeraj Chopra’s name was recommended by the Athletics Federation of India for the Khel Ratna, the country's highest sports award, but he ultimately received the Arjuna Award. He later received Vishisht Seva Medal (VSM), a decoration of the Indian armed forces, as part of the 2020 Republic Day honors.

As a child, Neeraj Chopra was notorious for his mischievous nature and once set part of his house on fire while trying to shoo away bees from a nearby tree.

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Neeraj Chopra – Career, Medal List, Records and Personal Achievements

Table of Contents

Who is Neeraj Chopra? –  The Tokyo Olympic 2020 gold medal winner Neeraj Chopra becomes the first person to bag the gold for India nearly after a decade.

Eventually, Neeraj Chopra becomes the first player for India to bag the gold in Javelin throw which is a Track and field category in Olympics.

Neeraj Chopra Biography

Neeraj Chopra Family

• Neeraj’s father Satish Kumar is a farmer in a tiny village of Khandra in Panipat, Haryana.
• His mother, Saroj Devi, is a housewife and he has two sisters.
• Neeraj developed an interest in Javelin at the tender age of 11 after keeping an eye on Jaiveer (Jai Choudhary) who used to practice at the Panipat Stadium. Jaiveer is a javelin athlete who represented Haryana.
• After training under Choudhary for a year, the 13-year-old Chopra was admitted to the Tau Devi Lal Sports Complex in Panchkula, four hours from his home.
• In 2014, Neeraj bought his first Javelin worth Rs 7000. Later at the international level, he purchased a javelin worth Rs 1 lakh in the national camp he attended.

Neeraj Chopra Career

• Neeraj weighs 80 kg when he was only 11, Neeraj’s introduction to javelin happened by chance during his visits to the Panipat Stadium in his bid to lose weight.
• Observing Chopra’s ability to achieve a 40-meter throw without training and impressed by his drive, Choudhary became his first coach.
• After training under Choudhary for a year, the 13-year-old Chopra was admitted to the Tau Devi Lal Sports Complex in Panchkula, four hours from his home.
• The sports complex was then one of only two facilities in the state of Haryana with a synthetic runway.
• There, he trained under coach Naseem Ahmad, who made him train in long-distance running along with the javelin throw.
• Initially while at Tau Devi, he typically achieved throws of around 55 meters.

• He soon increased his range and won the 2012 junior nationals in Lucknow by achieving a new national record throw of 68.40 meters.
• The next year, he entered his first international competition, the World Youth Championships in Ukraine.
• He achieved his first throw of over 70 meters at the 2014 senior nationals, following this up with a world record throw in the junior category of 81.04 meters in the 2015 All India Inter-University Athletics Meet; this was his first throw of over 80 meters.
• Chopra won a gold medal in the 2016 IAAF World U20 Championships in Bydgoszcz, Poland and set a world junior record of 86.48 m.

• He however failed to qualify for the 2016 Summer Olympics as the cut-off date had been 11 July, the week before the U20 championships.
• Impressed with Chopra’s performance at the South Asian Games and his future potential, the Indian Army offered him a direct appointment as a Junior Commissioned Officer in the Rajputana Rifles with the rank of Naib Subedar, a rank typically not immediately granted to athletes, who are usually recruited as non-commissioned officers (NCO).

Neeraj Chopra Medal 

• 2016- South Asian Games in Guwahati, India
• 2016 – World U20 Championships in Bydgoszcz, Poland
• 2017 – Asian Championships in Bhubaneswar, India
• 2018 – Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia
• 2018 – Sotteville Athletics Meet in Sotteville-lés-Rouen, France
• 2018 – Savo Games in Lapinlahti, Finland
• 2018 – Asian Games in Jakarta and Palembang, Indonesia
• 2021 – Tokyo Olympics 2020

Also read: Olympics Medal Table 2020 / 2021 | Ranking By Country

• 2016 – Asian Junior Championships in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
• 2017 – Asian Grand Prix Series in Jinhua, China
• 2017 – Asian Grand Prix Series in Jiaxing, China
• 2018 – Offenburg Speenvurf Meeting in Offenburg, Germany
• 2017 – Asian Grand Prix Series in Taipei, Taiwan

Neeraj Chopra Records

• 2018 – National Record of 88.06m mark at the Asian Games
• 2021 – National record of 88.07m mark at the Indian Grand Prix

Neeraj Chopra Awards

• Arjuna Award – 2018
• Vishisht Seva Medal (VSM) – 2020 Republic Day honours

Prize Amount for Neeraj Chopra on Winning Gold Medal

Neeraj Chopra starts to receive wishes and prizes from various organizations after winning the gold for India in the Tokyo Olympics 2020. Following are the list of cash prize amounts received by Neeraj Chopra:

• ₹75 lakhs (US$110,000) from the Government of India.
• ₹6 crores (US$840,000) from the Government of Haryana, a Class-I state government appointment, and a plot of land for an athletics centre.
• ₹2 crores (US$280,000) from BYJU’S
• ₹2 crores (US$280,000) from the Government of Punjab
• ₹1 crore (US$140,000) from the Government of Manipur
• ₹1 crore (US$140,000) from the Board of Control for Cricket in India
• ₹1 crore (US$140,000) from Chennai Super Kings and a personalized jersey
• ₹25 lakhs (US$35,000) from the Elan realty group, Gurugram
• ₹75 lakhs (US$110,000) from the Indian Olympic Association

Neeraj Chopra  Personal Top 10

Neeraj Chopra matches – Javelin Throw

Neeraj Chopra matches – Javelin Throw (700g)

• Neeraj Chopra

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Neeraj chopra biography: a story of grit, determination, & triumph.

Table of Contents

When we say cricket or football, you come up with a hundred names. But what about if we ask about a few names in the javelin throw ? Scratch your head! To sum up, quickly we can say that India is not an ‘athletic nation’. There is only a handful of talent in the country of 130 crores who dream of winning the medal on the international stage. One such young prodigy is Neeraj Chopra. In 2016, Chopra became the first Indian athlete to have a world record against his name when he won gold at the U-20 World Championships in Poland. He has joined the league of legends by winning both the Commonwealth and Asiad golds, only the second Indian athlete to do so after Milkha Singh in 1958. But his life’s biggest turnaround came up in Tokyo 2020. Neeraj Chopra became the 2nd Indian to win an individual gold for the country in the Olympics and the 1st one to do so in Athletics events .  In 2022, Neeraj Chopra won the Zurich Diamond League Final 2022 with an 88.44m throw. He subsequently clinched the first gold for India at the 2023 World Athletics Championships.

• Long-haired, charismatic, and virile, Neeraj Chopra catches attention at first sight. His journey is no small wonder. Let’s find out. Neeraj Chopra Timeline

About Neeraj Chopra

Neeraj Chopra Family

Neeraj’s father Satish Kumar is a farmer in the tiny village of Khandra in Panipat, Haryana. His mother, Saroj Devi, is a housewife and he has two sisters. Neeraj developed an interest in Javelin at the tender age of 11 after keeping an eye on Jaiveer (Jai Choudhary) who used to practice at the Panipat Stadium . Jaiveer is a javelin athlete who represented Haryana.

Also Read: How a girl from a small village Dhing, ran barefoot and reached the olympics?

Dollops of fresh cream and choorma, a fat-friendly mix of roti, ghee, and sugar, fed by a doting grandmother meant Neeraj stepped into his teens chubby and flabby. Weighing 80 kg when he was only 11, Neeraj’s introduction to the javelin happened by chance during his visits to the Panipat Stadium in his bid to lose weight.

He quickly took a liking for the sport and the rest, as they say, is history. Courtesy: His uncle. He decided to send Neeraj to sports. When he grew up watching athletes playing javelin throw Neeraj decided to take the game to the next level. In 2014, Neeraj bought his first Javelin worth Rs 7000. Later at the international level, he purchased a javelin worth Rs 1 lakh in the national camp he attended.

Also Read: What are the different types of events in athletics, played at the olympics?

Neeraj chopra: the golden boy of india.

A country with such a mediocre history in athletics, suddenly woke up one morning, in 2016, when the news of a 19-year-old Indian Javelin thrower creating a world record flashed on social media and television. He threw the Javelin to a distance of 86.48m to win the World U-20 Championships, in Poland. This was a Junior World Record throw.

On August 4, 2021, Chopra marked his Olympic debut, representing India at the Japan National Stadium. He secured the top spot in his qualifying group, earning a place in the final with an impressive throw of 86.65 meters. Then, on August 7, in his second attempt during the final, Chopra clinched the gold medal with a remarkable throw of 87.58 meters, making history as the first Indian Olympian to achieve a gold medal in athletics.

The Great Run of Neeraj Chopra

The man in the form took no time in becoming Asia’s best as he won the Asian Championships 2017, in Bhubaneswar, by throwing a distance of 85.23m. He also competed in the prestigious IAAF Diamond League Events for the first time in 2017 where he finished seventh.

But there comes a bad patch in every athlete’s life. 2017 was the one where he had a very disappointing outing. For a brief period in 2017, he struggled to better his personal best and be amongst the top ten Javelin throwers in the world.

After training under legendary Uwe Hohn (Neeraj Chopra Coach) , Neeraj came back strong. He bagged the gold medal in Commonwealth Games 2018 with a throw of 86.47m. Then he threw his personal best of 87.43m in the Doha leg of Diamond League 2018. He won the Asian Games with an 88.06m throw, which was one of the best throws of the season.

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During the World Championships held in Oregon in July 2022, Chopra secured a momentous silver medal in the men’s javelin throw final with his remarkable throw of 88.13 meters on his fourth attempt. This achievement marked India’s second medal at the World Athletics Championships, following long-jumper Anju Bobby George’s bronze in 2003.

On August 26, he clinched the top spot at the Lausanne Diamond League by achieving a remarkable throw of 89.09 meters, securing his qualification for the Zürich Final. Then, on September 8, he emerged victorious in the Final with a throw of 88.44 meters. This historic win made him the first Indian to achieve such a feat and also earned him a qualification for the 2023 World Championships.

In May 2023, Chopra secured the first position in the Doha Diamond League by achieving a remarkable throw of 88.67 meters. Then, in August 2023, he clinched the gold medal at the 2023 World Athletics Championships with an impressive throw of 88.17 meters.

In August 2023, he clinched the gold medal at the 2023 World Athletics Championships by tossing 88.17m. Following that success, in October 2023, he secured another gold at the 2022 Asian Games with a top throw of 88.88m for the season.

Neeraj Chopra Achievements

World continental cup.

World U20 Championships

Asian Championships

Asian Games

Commonwealth Games

Neeraj Chopra in Olympics

Neeraj Chopra in Diamond League

Neeraj Chopra in World Championships

Neeraj Chopra’s Current World Ranking

Subedar Neeraj Chopra

Neeraj Chopra joined the Indian Army as Junior Commissioned Officer. The young talent once said,

“I accepted the job as I was desperately in need of a job to sustain my training. Nobody in my family has a government job, now I have received the one and now I can help my family financially.”  

Interesting Facts About Neeraj Chopra

• Neeraj weighed 77kg at the age of 13, his uncle was strict and asked him to join sports.
• He is the second Indian athlete after Vikas Gowda to participate at the Diamond League event.
• His passion for the javelin throw was fuelled by endless hours of watching every YouTube video of Jan Zelenzy, a retired track and field athlete from the Czech Republic.
• Neeraj Chopra is the Indian record holder for the javelin throw.

Neeraj Chopra Awards

• Arjuna Award – 2018
• Vishisht Seva Medal (VSM) – 2020 Republic Day honours
• Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award – 2021 ( highest sporting honour of India )
• Param Vishisht Seva Medal (PVSM) – 2022 Republic Day honours
• Padma Shri (fourth highest civilian honour) – 2022 Republic Day honour

Neeraj Chopra Net Worth

The 25-year-old Neeraj is currently in the fold of JSW Sports. He is also named a brand ambassador by sports drinks giant Gatorade in a partnership that runs up to 2021. Neeraj Chopra’s brand value increased over 1000% after the victory in Tokyo Olympics. Neeraj’s Olympic triumph made him India’s most valuable sports person surpassing legendary Virat Kohli . His current net worth is over $4 Million in 2023. Currently, he is endorsing companies like GoodDot, Mobil India, TATA AIA Life Insurance, CRED, P&G, Amstrad AC, and more.

Social Media

World Champion. What a feeling. India, this is for you. जय हिन्द | 🇮🇳 #WACBudapest2023 pic.twitter.com/iOwtzNsao5 — Neeraj Chopra (@Neeraj_chopra1) August 28, 2023

मैंने कल कुछ पोस्ट नहीं किया क्योंकि लग रहा था की हमारे चार गोल्ड ही आने वाले है | 🥇 Congratulations to World Champions Nitu, Saweety, Nikhat and Lovlina and thank you to all Indians for supporting them at the World Boxing Championships. 👏🇮🇳 — Neeraj Chopra (@Neeraj_chopra1) March 26, 2023

An incredible evening to celebrate Indian Sport. 🇮🇳 Thank you to @imVkohli , @AnushkaSharma and the entire Indian @sportshonours family for the recognition. #ISH2023 pic.twitter.com/PK1so4Xy9g — Neeraj Chopra (@Neeraj_chopra1) March 25, 2023

🏋️ pic.twitter.com/EgS9qxxjt4 — Neeraj Chopra (@Neeraj_chopra1) March 11, 2023

          View this post on Instagram                       A post shared by Neeraj Chopra (@neeraj____chopra)

Neeraj Chopra won gold in Olympics 2021, with a throw of 87.58 m.

Neeraj Chopra’s best throw is 89.94m which he achieved at the Stockholm Diamond League in Sweden in 2022.

Indian javelin star, Neeraj Chopra became the first Indian to win a Diamond League title after winning the Men’s Javelin Throw event at the Zurich Diamond League Final.

Neeraj Chopra was born on 24 December 1997 in Khandra, Haryana, India.

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All you need to know about Neeraj Chopra, India’s golden boy at Olympics

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Tokyo 2020: How Neeraj Chopra made history

As his competitors fell short of the mark he had set and it was increasingly apparent that chopra would become the first indian athlete to win an olympic medal in track and field, the 23-year-old thrower from haryana kept his calm, simply waiting for each thrower to finish..

A day before his big day, Neeraj Chopra could hardly sleep. He was excited, eager, a bundle of nervous energy.

He wanted to rush to the Olympic Stadium, stand there on the runway with his javelin, feel the spear in his hand, start running, start throwing.

“I felt as if my body was in flames,” Chopra said later. “There was so much energy in me.”

He had been feeling this way ever since he threw 85.65m in the qualifying on August 4, the kind of feeling that tells an athlete that his big moment is close.

“A real good feeling. My qualifying throw was very relaxed,” said Chopra. “The next two days in training I felt so good that I believed on this day I’m going to improve on my personal best.”

Also Read | 87.58m that could change everything

So, on the day of the javelin throw final, the penultimate day of Tokyo 2020, Chopra woke up at 5:30am without meaning to, tried to sleep again but couldn’t, ate his breakfast and tried to sleep again without success, before giving up on it and spending the day visualizing his throw and his technique.

Chopra was the second person to throw in the final. He came charging in and it all clicked - the run smooth and fast, then the strong brake with his front leg, the whole energy from the run uncoiling behind it and into his throwing arm. A massive 87.03m. It immediately put the other eleven throwers under pressure.

Also Read | Tokyo Olympics: Khandra village erupts in joy after Neeraj gold

His second throw was even better, and Chopra knew it immediately, roaring in joy even before the javelin had landed.

“The feeling was good after the first throw and with the second throw I felt I had touched my personal best (88.07m), until the distance came,” he said.

After the first round of three throws, only Vitezslav Vesely (85.44m) from Czech Republic and Germany’s Julian Weber (85.30m) were anywhere close to Chopra.

There was already a big upset - Germany’s Johannes Vetter, the only man who has thrown over 90 metres this year with a 96.29m throw in May and whose personal best is the second best throw of all time, could not make the top eight with a throw of 82.52m.

“The first throw was important because it took the pressure off him and it meant straightaway he was leading,” said Chopra’s coach Klaus Bartonietz, a German biomechanical expert.

The second throw was really all that Chopra needed to do - in fact, even the first throw would have got him gold. At the end of the event, Czech Republic's Jakub Vadlejch came closest with his 5th attempt (86.67m) and Vesely finished third with 85.44m.

India had its first track and field medal at the Olympics, and it was a gold. If the moment was almost too good to believe, it did not feel like that for Chopra, who not only owned the day but later revealed that he felt that he could break the Olympic record of 90.57m.

“I turn into a different person when I’m on the field,” Chopra said. “You never know about javelin, anyone can have one good throw, so I was prepared to go all out and in doing that I put too much speed in two throws in between and went for a foul.”

As his competitors fell short of the mark he had set and it was increasingly apparent that Chopra would become the first Indian athlete to win an Olympic medal in track and field, the 23-year-old thrower from Haryana kept his calm, simply waiting for each thrower to finish. Then he took his last throw and bowed down on the runway.

“The javelin, runway, track is where most of my life has been spent,” he said. “To us it’s like a god. I wanted to give my thanks.”

There was a distinct possibility that this moment would not come at all. Back in 2016, when Chopra had set the junior world record with a throw of 86.48m, to come to the world’s notice, it had come just 12 days after the qualification cut-off date for the Rio Olympics. His throw was well above the qualification mark.

In 2018, Chopra, trained by some of the best throwers in the world in the late Australian coach Gary Calvert and then Germany’s former legendary thrower Uwe Hohn, was on a roll. He breached the 85m mark, the qualification mark for the Olympics, on nine occasions.

At the Commonwealth Games, he recorded a throw of 86.47 for the gold and improved the distance to 88.06, his personal best and sixth best in world for the season, at the Jakarta Asian Games to win gold. Chopra was inching closer to challenging the very best in the world, inching closer to the 90m mark, when his flight was brutally cut short by an elbow injury.

It led to a surgery, then a lengthy lay-off, and with it, a big question mark - would he be able to get it back together for Tokyo?

For Indian javelin throwers, a serious injury that needed a surgery to the throwing arm would have simply meant the end of a career. But not for Chopra, who has had the opportunity to work with some of the best in the business - from the surgery to the rehabilitation - which he did at the Inspire Institute of Sports, in Bellary, Karnataka.

When he finally came back to competition in January 2020, he hit the qualification mark for the Olympics in his first event. Soon after that, the pandemic began and all sports came to a halt. Chopra bided his time, trying to keep his fitness going, holed up in the National Institute of Sports in Patiala - the long rehab had taught him both patience and how to work with his body.

"He knows when he should push and when he needs to give it a break,” said his Physio Ishaan Marwah. “Earlier when he was younger, even if he was in pain, his adrenaline rush would be so much that he wouldn’t care about aggravating it. After the injury he has gained maturity as an athlete. He listens to his body.”

Yet again, Chopra came out of isolation and in his very first competition, the Indian Grand Prix in Patiala in March, he bettered his own national record.

“I was thinking that I will break the record again here,” Chopra said, the Olympic gold around his neck. “Throw my personal best, but that did not happen. But there will be time for that, right now the Olympic gold is better. I almost cried on the podium, but then no tears came. But it was like a current was going through me.”

• Tokyo Olympics
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Neeraj Chopra: The Man Who Made History

A detailed account of neeraj chopra’s extraordinary feat, and more.

By PK Ajith Kumar

India is an underachiever in sport. The world’s most populous country and fifth largest economy could do better. True, it no longer is a single-sport nation, but it has a long way to go: look at countries like Australia, closer home China or Japan, not to mention the US or Great Britain.

India has never played at the football World Cup. It has never produced a Grand Slam singles finalist in tennis. Until three years ago, you could have also said that it never won an athletics medal at the Olympics. But Neeraj Chopra intervened. He threw the Olympic gold down at Tokyo with his javelin on August 7, 2021.

Norris Pritam’s  Neeraj Chopra: The Man Who Made History  is a detailed account of that extraordinary feat. It isn’t the first book on the golden boy of Indian athletics, but that doesn’t make Pritam’s less significant.

And there aren’t many authors who could have written on Neeraj with more insight. Not merely is Pritam a veteran sports journalist who has covered multiple Olympics — though unfortunately not the one at Tokyo — he has been a former long-distance runner and has followed Indian athletics with a keen eye, from up close, for decades.

Poor state of Indian athletics

Neeraj Chopra: The Man Who Made History  works also because of the insights Pritam provides into the poor state Indian athletics had been in for so long before the golden dawn in Tokyo (much work has to be done still to ensure that it would be no false dawn). India perhaps could have attained an Olympic medal long before Neeraj, through the likes of Milkha Singh, Sriram Singh or PT Usha, if they had more support. Pritam speaks of how TC Yohannan and Suresh Babu, two gifted long jumpers from Kerala, had to invent crude methods for training. They made use of ropes, ceiling fans, bricks and the flat’s windows to come up with their own crude equipment for training. Mind you, both were gold-medallists at the Asian Games and competed at the Olympics.

Indian athletics has come a long way from those days, when Sriram’s coach, Mohammad Ilyas Babar, with whom Pritam used to run in Delhi, went to Montreal in 1976 with the ticket bought by his friends, to watch his ward getting an explosive start in the 800m final before finishing seventh: a performance like that would be a triumph for India even now.

Pritam, by writing in some detail about the past of Indian athletics, has put Neeraj’s achievement in the right perspective. Thanks to the understandably extensive coverage of the athlete in the media especially after his triumph in Tokyo, much of his remarkably story may already be known, but his fascinating journey that began in a house at Khandra, a village in Haryana, with the intention of losing his baby fat through some physical activity, is worth retelling. Pritam’s interviews with Neeraj’s family members and the man himself help.

The author has also given some well-deserved space to JSW Sports, which has played a key role in the development of Neeraj as an athlete. It is doubtful whether he would have achieved as much as he has, for all his talent, without the total support he received from the conglomerate. JSW’s involvement will help the reader know how much effort and planning go into the making of a world-class athlete, especially in a country like India that cannot boast of a great sporting tradition.

The book could have been better, though. There are some repetitions that could have been avoided. And one is not so sure if an athlete is to be lauded for his good fortune for getting a government job.

You also wish the author had told the reader what exactly was wrong with former national champion in javelin-throw Razia Sheikh, more than what appeared in a newspaper, about her having to live in obscurity.

Title : Neeraj Chopra: The Man Who Made History

Author : Norris Pritam

Publisher : Bloomsbury India

Price : ₹271

Check out the book on Amazon here

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Neeraj Chopra: Boy with the golden arm

A touchy teenager, the ‘sarpanch’, good friend, foodie… and now neeraj is an olympic champion..

Neeraj Chopra did not just win a gold medal, flinging the javelin a staggering 87.58m to top the charts in Tokyo, but vaulted himself into history books as well as the consciousness of a medal-starved nation. It would go down, to date, as the most historic of medals in India’s Olympic history. Perhaps, the most historic in the nation’s sporting history. The gold, a historic first for the country in track and field, the second for an individual ever and the first since Abhinav Bindra’s in 2008, would also ensure India’s richest-ever tally (seven).

Much before he won the country’s first-ever track and field medal, they used to call Neeraj the village headman in Khandra, near Panipat. What started as a joke turned out prophetic. It’s one Neeraj story, his uncle Bhim Chopra never tires of narrating.

His story is as much endearing as it is inspiring. While still in school, Neeraj once came home crying. It was very soon after he had rushed out of his house, excited to show his sparkling white new kurta-pyjama to his friends. A stray taunt by one of his playmates would make Neeraj a butt of jokes among pals. The incident would also change his life and give him an apt nickname for the rest of his life.

“Dekho sarpanch ji agaye”, was the sarcastic comment that had left Neeraj deflated back in the day. His father and uncle would enrol him at a local gym to toughen him up. They wanted the boy to fight his own battles, instead of coming home in tears with complaints. Neeraj would get hooked, develop muscles, channelise his newfound strength to hurl a javelin and with time be among the best in the world.

Despite his superstar status, Khandra, a village close to Panipat in Haryana, still calls him sarpanch.

#NeerajChopra It’s a gold for India !!! Let the celebrations begin! Our boy #NeerajChopra wins GOLD!!! Wins the javelin competition with a fantastic throw of 87.58 mtrs!! pic.twitter.com/WtZ3MVIJhZ — Siddeshwar Rachamalla (@RachamallaSiddu) August 7, 2021

Upwardly mobile

In close to a decade, the Chopras have climbed up the social ladder with such speed that they are the new benchmark of this village. Along with Neeraj’s once modest home getting repaired, refurbished and growing in height, the new admissions at the javelin academy at the local school has increased. The Olympic medal is expected to see an army of young boys with dreams reaching out for the javelin.

The Asian and Commonwealth golds in 2018, was a turning point in Neeraj’s life in terms of fame and recognition. But the 23-year-old has always remained oblivious to the trappings of stardom. The prize money and sponsorship deals post-2018 helped him fulfil some long-standing desires but they still remain grounded.

Additions such as a new three-storied house with a fully equipped gym, a Harley Davidson bike, an SUV and three tractors are superficial, feels father Satish. “Yes, the next generation of the Chopras has access to better facilities now. But for me what matters is that we are happy and stay together as a family. Family is everything for me. Ye gadi vadi ka shauk nahi hai mujhe,” says father Satish who still spends most of his time tending to the family farms.

Watch: Neeraj Chopra’s family members celebrate the historic medal. #Tokyo2020 #Olympics #Javelin #Athletics #NeerajChopra pic.twitter.com/B6tFi3pMIv — Express Sports (@IExpressSports) August 7, 2021

Staying simple

His wardrobe has nothing fancy. A few pairs of white kurta pyjamas and leather chappals and juttis (narrow tipped traditional shoes). “I’ve never worn a pair of jeans in my life, never owned shoes with laces. I like it this way and I’m not going to change. Even Neeraj tells me ‘papa, be as you like,” father Satish says.

There’s one thing that has changed in Satish’s life though, says younger brother Bhim. “He spends a lot of time on the phone nowadays,” he complains before Satish quickly retorts: “Arrey kahan? I just watch Neeraj’s throws on YouTube.”

At home in Delhi for a short break, Neeraj’s “best friend” and the US-based high jumper Tejaswin Shankar has been glued to the TV during the Olympic fortnight. The two met for the first time during a junior meet in 2015, and since then have forged a bond that goes beyond the field. They pull each others’ legs, mostly Tejaswin taking the lead, exchange voice notes. The Delhi boy and worldly-wise high-jumper has been Neeraj’s off-the-field mentor, who has constantly updated the Khandra boy’s social skills.

“It almost amazes me that he hasn’t changed one bit as a person. Zero. I think after achieving so much he deserves to show off a little but no he doesn’t,” says Tejaswin.

THE THROW THAT WON #IND A #GOLD MEDAL 😍 #Tokyo2020 | #StrongerTogether | #UnitedByEmotion @Neeraj_chopra1 pic.twitter.com/F6xr6yFe8J — #Tokyo2020 for India (@Tokyo2020hi) August 7, 2021

Enhanced professionalism

The only transformation Tejaswin has noticed is the way now Neeraj’s professionalism has grown. “I don’t know if it’s because he’s not a teenager anymore or because of the coaches and training, but he has become a lot more focused. I spoke to him before about the qualifications and he was already talking about the events he’s planning to take part in after the Games. He wasn’t like this before, ” says Tejaswin.

“Pehle josh tha lekin hosh nahi ( e had the zeal in him but didn’t know how to channelise it). Earlier, he used to say things like he wants to throw big and win medals but didn’t have any concrete plans,” says Tejaswin, who were hotel mates for 15 days in Bengaluru in 2016 ahead of a training camp at the JSW facilities in Bellary, about 300km away. Tejaswi recalls they had fried rice and matka kulfi two weeks straight for dinner at the Bengaluru hotel because Neeraj loved it.

For Neeraj’s uncle Sultan, the star thrower will always remain that mischievous little over-pampered boy he saw burning the kitchen down while trying to shoo away bees. “He wasn’t allowed to do any household chores. We didn’t send him to work in the fields as well. He was the first kid in our family and he was like a doll for us,” says Sultan.

But the extra pampering came at a price. The high-calorific meals of ghee-fried parathas, fresh buffalo milk and freshly churned butter with no exercise meant Neeraj grew broader than longer. But the family didn’t bother much until Neeraj came home weeping one day. No one knew those tears would start a journey that would give endless joy to the Chopras, Khandra and India.

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Neeraj Chopra Biography, Medals, Olympic Record, Achievements

Neeraj Chopra is an Indian track and field athlete in javelin throw. Check here all about Neeraj Chopra Biography, Age, List of Medals, Achievements in Olympic and other International Events.

Table of Contents

Neeraj Chopra Golden Boy

In the world of sports, there are stories that go beyond just games and records. Neeraj Chopra’s life is one such tale that captures the essence of determination and the pursuit of greatness. Neeraj Chopra, known as “India’s Golden Boy” after winning the historic gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics 2020, accomplished the feat in the men’s javelin final in Budapest, Hungary, taking first place with a remarkable 88.17-meter throw, which he accomplished on his second attempt.

This article explores the incredible journey of Neeraj Chopra, a young athlete who has risen from humble beginnings to become a source of inspiration for many.

Federation Cup: Neeraj Chopra

Neeraj Chopra won the gold medal in the men’s javelin final in Bhubaneshwar with a best effort of 82.27m. The Olympic champion stopped after four throws at Kalinga Stadium on Wednesday, May 15. He finished on the top step of the podium in the men’s javelin final at the 27th Federation Cup senior national competition in Bhubaneshwar after having received a hero’s welcome in Odisha.

Neeraj Chopra in Asian Games 2023

Neeraj Chopra wins gold in Asian Games 2023 Javelin Throw. Neeraj Chopra finishes with a best of 88.88m. He gets a no throw on his final attempt, and as of now stands in the gold medal spot.

Asian Games 2023 Javelin Throw

Neeraj Chopra, the top javelin thrower in the world, won the gold medal at the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, on October 4 with a throw of 88.88 metres, making it yet another historic event. Neeraj Chopra completed his athletics degree. Everything is his to keep. In 2018, the Commonwealth and Asian titles were awarded.

Neeraj Chopra Gold Medal  

Neeraj Chopra, India’s star javelin thrower, secured a gold medal at the World Athletics Championships in 2023, which took place in Budapest, Hungary. On August 27th, he achieved this remarkable feat with an impressive throw of 88.17 meters.

In the competition, Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem won the silver medal by throwing 87.82 meters, his best performance of the season. The world’s number 1 javelin thrower, Jakub Vadlejch from Croatia, took the bronze medal with a throw of 86.67 meters.

Neeraj Chopra Diamond League 2023

Neeraj Chopra, the Olympic champion in javelin throwing, participated in the Diamond League finals held in Eugene, Oregon, USA. In the Diamond League competition, he finished in second place with a throw of 83.80 meters. The winner of the Diamond League finals was Jakub Vadlejch, who had a best throw of 84.24 meters.

• It’s worth noting that Neeraj Chopra had also secured a second-place finish at the same venue during the World Championships last year.
• During this Diamond League competition, the weather conditions were a bit challenging, with temperatures at 25 degrees Celsius and humidity at 45 per cent. None of the competitors were able to achieve a throw beyond 85 meters.

Neeraj Chopra faced some difficulties during the competition. He had two foul attempts, meaning his throws did not count, and his best throw of the day was 83.80 meters. His series of throws included fouls, 83.80m, 81.37m, fouls, 80.74m, and 80.90m.

List of Neeraj Chopra Medals in International Competitions

Here is a list of all medals won by Neeraj Chopra at international events. 

Read about: Major Dhyan Chand

Neeraj Chopra Biography

Neeraj Chopra, an Indian javelin thrower, achieved a historic milestone by winning the gold medal at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics with a remarkable throw of 87.58 meters. This victory made him the first Indian track and field athlete to claim an Olympic gold medal and the second individual sportsperson from India to achieve this prestigious feat. His accomplishment marked a groundbreaking moment in Indian sports.

Neeraj Chopra’s Age and Early Life

Born on December 24, 1997, in Khandra village, Panipat district, Haryana, India, Neeraj Chopra hails from a farming family. He was the eldest among his siblings, growing up in a joint family of 17 members. During his early years, Neeraj faced weight issues and weighed 90 kilograms by the age of 12. Teasing from other children prompted his father to enrol him in a local gym to help him shed weight.

Neeraj’s introduction to athletics came when he impressed javelin thrower Jaiveer Singh with his initial throw of 40 meters at a nearby sports centre. This led to his journey into javelin throwing, and he began training under coach Naseem Ahmad at the Tau Devi Lal Sports Complex in Panchkula. At the age of 15, he achieved his first national title with a record throw of 68.40 meters at the 2012 junior nationals in Lucknow.

Winning Achievements of Neeraj Chopra

His early international success included winning a silver medal at the Youth Olympics Qualification in Bangkok in 2014. Neeraj continued to excel, setting a national record with a throw of 84.23 meters at the 2016 South Asian Games, where he secured a gold medal. His career reached new heights in July 2016 when he set a world junior record and won gold at the IAAF World U20 Championships in Bydgoszcz, Poland.

Neeraj Chopra’s excellence extended to the Asian Athletics Championships in 2017, where he won gold with a throw of 85.23 meters. In 2018, he clinched a gold medal at the Commonwealth Games with an impressive throw of 86.47 meters. His historic moment came at the 2018 Asian Games, where he became the first Indian javelin thrower to win gold, achieving a remarkable throw of 88.06 meters and surpassing his own national record.

Despite facing an elbow injury that required surgery in 2019, Neeraj Chopra remained determined. He underwent rehabilitation and training with experts, including biomechanics expert Klaus Bartonietz in South Africa.

In January 2020, he qualified for the Tokyo Olympics with a throw of 87.86 meters in the ACNW League Meeting in Potchefstroom. In March 2021, he improved his previous national record with an 88.07m throw and secured a gold medal at his first international competition of the season in Lisbon, Portugal.

On August 4, 2021, representing India at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, Neeraj Chopra registered a throw of 86.65 meters, qualifying for the men’s javelin throw final. Then, on August 7, 2021, he made history by securing the gold medal with an outstanding 87.58m throw. This victory not only made him a sporting icon but also inspired a generation of aspiring athletes in India.

In addition to his athletic achievements, Neeraj Chopra joined the Indian Army in 2016 as a Junior Commissioned Officer with the rank of Naib Subedar. He received several awards for his contributions to sports, including the Arjuna Award and the Vishisht Seva Medal (VSM), a decoration of the Indian armed forces.

Learning From Neeraj Chopra’s Life

Neeraj Chopra’s journey from a young boy struggling with weight issues to an Olympic gold medalist is a testament to his dedication, hard work, and passion for athletics. His remarkable achievements have left an indelible mark on Indian sports history, instilling hope and inspiration in athletes across the nation.

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Neeraj Chopra Biography FAQs

Who won the diamond league 2023 javelin throw.

Jakub Vadlejch won the Diamond League 2023 javelin throw.

Is Neeraj Chopra in the Diamond League?

Yes, Neeraj Chopra participated in the Diamond League.

Where is the 2023 Diamond League?

The 2023 Diamond League took place in Eugene, Oregon, United States.

Who won first gold medal for India in Olympics?

Abhinav Bindra won the 10m men's air rifle competition, outperforming gold medalist Zhu Qinan, who had to settle for silver, with a score of 700.5. The first Indian to win an individual gold medal at the Olympics was Abhinav Bindra.

Why Neeraj Chopra called Golden Boy?

Neeraj Chopra earned title of "India's golden boy" after winning the Olympic gold medal in Tokyo. With a javelin throw of 88.17 metres, Neeraj Chopra also became the first Indian to win gold in the World Athletics Championships. As the first Indian to win a gold medal at the World Athletics Championships, Neeraj Chopra cemented his place in history once more.

I, Sakshi Gupta, am a content writer to empower students aiming for UPSC, PSC, and other competitive exams. My objective is to provide clear, concise, and informative content that caters to your exam preparation needs. I strive to make my content not only informative but also engaging, keeping you motivated throughout your journey!

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From Subedar to Gold medalist: Neeraj Chopra’s journey at Indian Army's Mission Olympics Wing

Neeraj chopra, a 23-year-old from haryana, has written history after winning gold in the men's javelin throw event in tokyo. let's take a look at his journey from subedar in the indian army to olympic gold medalist..

Listen to Story

With a magnificent throw of 87.58 metres at the Tokyo Olympics 2020, Neeraj Chopra made history by becoming the first Indian to win a Gold medal in Javelin throw in the Olympic Games.

Putting an end to the country's 121-year wait for an athletics medal, Neeraj Chopra won India’s first Olympic medal in track and field events. He joins Abhinav Bindra, who won the Gold in the 2008 Olympics.

Neeraj took to javelin throw to lose weight as he was obese, but he quickly became enamoured with the sport, and the rest is history.

August 7, 2021. Neeraj Chopra wins the javelin throw gold at the Olympics with a throw of 87.58m. It's India's first-ever Olympic gold medal in track and field.

Two years on, the effect of Neeraj's historic feat has gone beyond javelin, beyond track and field, too, and touched athletes and sports Neeraj wouldn't normally have been connected with.

Some of it is obvious: August 7 has been christened "National Javelin Day."

Some of it is understandable, how Neeraj inspires younger javelin throwers.

Some of it, though, is unprecedented: a javelin thrower giving a pep talk to an India cricket team before a World Cup final? Or being that friend on the other end of a phone line to athletes from other disciplines? Moving schoolchildren to tears of joy after meeting him?

Something has changed in Indian sport. Call it belief, call it confidence, call it morale-boosting: Neeraj has, by his achievement two years ago and then by his conscious efforts ever since, given Indian sport an intangible, yet perceptible, lift.

Some of it is quantifiable: Five javelin throwers have crossed the coveted 80m mark in men's javelin in the last two years - the first time that India has six current athletes, including Neeraj, clear of the 80m mark.

It can't be directly linked to Neeraj, of course, because it would be part of natural progression. But as one of India's top throwers Rohit Yadav, who has had multiple training camps with Neeraj, says, " Unhi ke wajah se aaj throw lag rahi ha i [We're throwing so well only because of him]."

It's something that the entire crop of upcoming javelin throwers say: Neeraj is one among them. There's no air of being the Olympic champion. He's just the boy from Haryana's Khandra village who wants the best for his compatriots.

Though he prefers to train abroad - because he's swarmed with commercial commitments every time he's in India - Neeraj makes it a point to keep track of all Indian athletes. And he never misses an opportunity to congratulate them on public forums - whether it be in press conferences or on social media.

When Rohit crossed the 80 mark, his phone lit up with a congratulatory message from Neeraj. When DP Manu, India's third-best thrower on form, threw a massive 84.35m last year, he was a recipient of words of praise from Neeraj. When Kishore Kumar Jena, India's freshest javelin talent recorded the fourth-best throw by an Indian, Neeraj was once again there to congratulate him.

Good throw Kishore ���� keep Going �� https://t.co/ekPK6Bge2c - Neeraj Chopra (@Neeraj_chopra1) July 28, 2023

Neeraj's effect isn't limited to just the javelin throwers, even long-jumper Sreeshankar Murali finds inspiration in his success. Sreeshankar recently linked up with him at the Lausanne Diamond League event and felt Neeraj was "like that one friend who you can speak to for hours....he makes you feel so comfortable that you feel like you've known him for years."

Sreeshankar, who was also Neeraj's roommate at the Tokyo Olympics, says the latter hasn't let success change him one bit and remains as friendly as ever. "It's his personality and charisma, that's what sets him apart," says Sreeshankar.

It's true because even Rohit says Neeraj is "just like them." "Hamari toh daily baat hoti rehti hai. Zyadatar javelin ke bahar ke baatein hi hoti hain. Bhaisahab ke saat hassi-mazak hota rehta hai [We talk every day and it's mostly about stuff other than javelin. It's all fun and laughter on our chats]," he says.

In January this year, Neeraj made a remarkable breakthrough in Indian sports culture. The day before the ICC U-19 Women's T20 World Cup final in Johannesburg, the Indian team asked Neeraj to give the players a pep talk. Neeraj, who was training in South Africa then, was also in attendance at the stadium the next day as the Indian women beat England to win the title.

Motivation boost �� Olympic Gold medalist @Neeraj_chopra1 shares words of wisdom with young India stars ahead of their #U19T20WorldCup final against England ��️ pic.twitter.com/xoOl2uWBk1 - ICC (@ICC) January 29, 2023

He cracked jokes, ensured he got a picture with each of them and left them with a thought, "When you become famous, always remember why you started playing the sport. And always remember your background."

The symbolism was not lost on those who follow Indian sport: It's usually the cricket greats who are asked to give motivational speeches to athletes from other sports; now the tables have been turned.

And he can do it at all levels. When Neeraj visited a school in Bengaluru in March, his concern had been whether the children would recognise him. He walked into the classroom with the biggest grin and while most of the children gasped and stared at him open-mouthed, one girl began to cry. "My idol is in front of me right now," she wept as Neeraj consoled her with a reassuring hug, only for another girl to scream "Sir, are you actually Neeraj Chopra?"

After a round of autographs and selfies, Neeraj left behind a class of 30-odd students that were still struggling to process what had just happened. "Never be sad or upset about one failure. Just keep training and working hard," he told them.

शनिवार है surprises का दिन! �� इन छोटे बच्चों से मिलकर बहुत मजा आया | They are the future of our great nation! ���� pic.twitter.com/eTyDvf9sHb - Neeraj Chopra (@Neeraj_chopra1) March 26, 2023

Neeraj doesn't back his compatriots only during the good times, he's there for them during the tough times as well. And he's not afraid to take a stand.

While the cream of Indian sports remained mute spectators, Neeraj voiced his concern when India's top wrestlers were protesting against the Wrestling Federation of India and said "It hurts me to see our athletes on the streets demanding justice."

pic.twitter.com/SzlEhVnjep - Neeraj Chopra (@Neeraj_chopra1) April 28, 2023

He took to social media again a month later to voice his anguish when his close friend Vinesh Phogat, one of India's most accomplished female wrestlers, was forcibly detained by the police.

यह देखकर मुझे बहुत दुख हो रहा है | There has to be a better way to deal with this. https://t.co/M2gzso4qjX - Neeraj Chopra (@Neeraj_chopra1) May 28, 2023

Tejaswin Shankar, India's top decathlete and high-jumper, says Neeraj has not changed one bit since they first met in 2015.

"The funny thing is that I meet all the top athletes only in the dope control room because I'm always there after my event. The first time we met was in the dope room at the 2015 Junior Federation Cup in Hyderabad. That was the first time I saw him and I thought " Kaun hai yeh, funk-sa John Abraham jaisa dikhne wala [who is this guy who looks like John Abraham?] Then I found out that he was Neeraj Chopra and had thrown around 77m [76.91m] to set a new Junior Federation Cup Meet record," Tejaswin recalls.

The two have remained thick friends since and Tejaswin asserts while Neeraj carries the title of "Olympic Champion", he remains the same fun-loving lad.

"The only thing that has changed is the title. Outside of that, the human being that he is and the inspiration he provides to athletes...even when he was not an Olympic champion, he was still able to inspire others through his conversations and banter. The 'Olympic medallist' title is added to his name, but the person has not changed. Many Olympic medallists come and go, but the way he connects with every athlete irrespective of who they are and what they do is what makes him special."

"We don't have to look far or go to Jamaica or look at Usain Bolt or someone else for inspiration. We have Neeraj Chopra in our own country and don't need to go anywhere else to draw inspiration."

10 facts about Neeraj Chopra, the athlete with a 'golden arm'

Jul 26, 2022

World champion

Chopra scripted history by winning the silver medal at the World Championships. He is only the second Indian and first male track and field athlete to win the medal.

Image Source: Reuters

​Another record

Earlier this month, he clinched a silver medal at the Diamond League meet and broke his own previous record with a throw of 89.94 meters.

Image Source: AP

​Javelin wasn't first love

Chopra spent his time playing volleyball as a kid. At the age of 11, he saw athlete Jaiveer practising at the Panipat Stadium and took a liking for the sport.

Image Source: BCCL

​The record breaker

Chopra broke the national record with a throw of 87.43m at the Doha Diamond League. At the 2018 Asian Games, he bagged the gold medal. He broke his own record with a throw of 88.07m in 2021.

​Career-threatening injury

Chopra sustained a serious injury to his right arm in 2019. He made a comeback with ACNW League Meeting, where he registered a winning throw of 87.86m.

Image Source: ANI

​Naib Subedar in the Indian Army

Since his win in the U-20 championship in 2016, he had been appointed Naib Subedar in the Indian Army.

Image Source: Agencies

​Struggle with obesity

Chopra struggled with obesity as a kid. He weighed 90 kilos at the age of 12.

​Humble roots

Neeraj Chopra, 24, hails from Khandra village of Panipat. His father is a farmer while his mother is a housewife.

​Arjuna Awardee

Chopra was conferred with the India's second-highest sporting honour in September 2018. He was presented the award by Former Indian President Ram Nath Kovind.

Champion coach

Chopra is coached by legendary German javelin thrower Uwe Hohn. Hohn is the only athlete to hold the record of throw of 100 metres or more.

Thanks For Reading!

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Neeraj CHOPRA

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Neeraj Chopra Biography – Paragraph & Essay

Write a biography on NEERAJ CHOPRA based on the following points:

[Points: Son of Satish Kumar and Saroj Devi–born on December 24, 1997 in Khandra village, Panipat district, Haryana–father, a farmer and mother homemaker–enrolled for graduation at Dayanand Anglo-Vedic College in Chandigarh but left halfway–pursuing BA from Lovely Professional University, Punjab–Junior Commissioned Officer in Indian Army–won the country’s first track and field gold medal at Tokyo Olympics–threw the javelin to a distance of 87.58 m–according to Neeraj’s coach Klaus Bartonietz his (Neeraj) ability to bend his body like a dhanush (bow) and transfer body elasticity and weight into the javelin was the secret of his success–dedicated his gold medal to Milkha Singh–made the entire nation proud.]

Neeraj Chopra Biography: Four samples are provided below.

Neeraj Chopra (Sample 1)

Neeraj Chopra is an Indian athlete who made history by winning the country’s first track and field gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics. He was born on December 24, 1997, in Khandra village, Panipat district, Haryana to Satish Kumar and Saroj Devi. Neeraj’s father is a farmer and his mother is a homemaker. He enrolled for graduation at Dayanand Anglo-Vedic College in Chandigarh but left halfway to pursue a BA from Lovely Professional University in Punjab.

Neeraj joined the Indian Army as a Junior Commissioned Officer and was trained as a javelin thrower. His ability to bend his body like a dhanush (bow) and transfer body elasticity and weight into the javelin was the secret of his success, according to his coach Klaus Bartonietz.

At the Tokyo Olympics, Neeraj threw the javelin to a distance of 87.58 m, earning him the gold medal. He dedicated his victory to Milkha Singh, the legendary Indian athlete who had passed away earlier that year. Neeraj’s historic win made the entire nation proud, and he became a role model for aspiring athletes across the country.

Read More: Click here to view more Paragraphs and Essays

Neeraj Chopra (Sample 2)

Neeraj Chopra is an Indian athlete and a national hero, born on December 24, 1997, in Khandra village, Panipat district, Haryana. He is the son of Satish Kumar and Saroj Devi, where his father is a farmer and his mother is a homemaker. Neeraj enrolled for graduation at Dayanand Anglo-Vedic College in Chandigarh but left halfway to pursue a BA from Lovely Professional University in Punjab.

Neeraj joined the Indian Army as a Junior Commissioned Officer and was posted as a part of the Rajputana Rifles regiment. Neeraj’s career in athletics began when he participated in the under-16 district-level competitions. His talent was soon recognized, and he began to hone his skills.

In the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, Neeraj won the country’s first track and field gold medal by throwing the javelin to a distance of 87.58 meters. According to Neeraj’s coach Klaus Bartonietz, his ability to bend his body like a dhanush (bow) and transfer body elasticity and weight into the javelin was the secret of his success.

Neeraj dedicated his gold medal to the legendary Indian athlete Milkha Singh, who passed away a few weeks before the Olympics. He made the entire nation proud by winning the gold medal and became an inspiration for many aspiring athletes in India. Neeraj’s achievements have brought attention to the potential of Indian athletes, and he continues to be a source of inspiration for the youth.

Neeraj Chopra (Sample 3)

Neeraj Chopra is an Indian athlete and Olympic gold medalist who was born on December 24, 1997, in Khandra village in the Panipat district of Haryana. He is the son of Satish Kumar and Saroj Devi. Neeraj’s father is a farmer, while his mother is a homemaker.

Neeraj started his education at the Dayanand Anglo-Vedic College in Chandigarh but left halfway through to pursue a Bachelor of Arts degree from Lovely Professional University in Punjab. While he was in college, he started pursuing javelin throwing, and his talent was soon noticed by many.

After completing his education, Neeraj joined the Indian Army as a Junior Commissioned Officer. While serving in the Army, he continued to train in javelin throwing and participated in several national and international competitions.

In the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Neeraj Chopra made history by winning the country’s first track and field gold medal. He threw the javelin to a distance of 87.58 meters, setting a national record and making him a household name in India. According to Neeraj’s coach Klaus Bartonietz, his ability to bend his body like a dhanush (bow) and transfer body elasticity and weight into the javelin was the secret of his success.

Neeraj dedicated his gold medal to Milkha Singh, the legendary Indian athlete who passed away earlier that year. He stated that he was inspired by Milkha Singh’s journey and was proud to have made the entire nation proud.

Neeraj Chopra’s success has made him a role model for many young athletes in India, and his achievements have brought much-needed attention to track and field sports in the country. His dedication, hard work, and passion for the sport have made him a true champion, and he will undoubtedly continue to inspire many more in the years to come.

Neeraj Chopra (Sample 4)

Neeraj Chopra is an Indian athlete who has become a household name in the country, thanks to his impressive achievements in the sport of javelin throwing. Born on December 24, 1997, in Khandra village, Panipat district, Haryana, Neeraj is the son of Satish Kumar and Saroj Devi. His father is a farmer, and his mother is a homemaker.

Neeraj’s interest in sports began at an early age, and he participated in various sporting events during his school days. However, his career in athletics began in earnest when he participated in the under-16 district-level competitions. His talent was soon recognized, and he began to train seriously.

Neeraj enrolled for graduation at Dayanand Anglo-Vedic College in Chandigarh, but he left halfway to pursue a BA from Lovely Professional University in Punjab. During this time, he continued to hone his skills as a javelin thrower and participated in various national and international events.

In 2016, Neeraj joined the Indian Army as a Junior Commissioned Officer and was posted as a part of the Rajputana Rifles regiment. Despite his duties in the army, he continued to train and compete in athletics.

Neeraj’s breakthrough moment came in 2018 when he won gold at the Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia, with a throw of 86.47 meters. This was followed by a gold medal at the Asian Games in Jakarta, Indonesia, where he set a national record with a throw of 88.06 meters.

However, Neeraj’s biggest achievement came in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, where he won the country’s first track and field gold medal by throwing the javelin to a distance of 87.58 meters. This was an incredible feat and made him the first Indian athlete to win a gold medal in athletics at the Olympics. Neeraj’s performance was particularly impressive, given that he had recently recovered from an elbow injury.

According to Neeraj’s coach Klaus Bartonietz, his ability to bend his body like a dhanush (bow) and transfer body elasticity and weight into the javelin was the secret of his success. This technique, combined with his strength and agility, allowed him to throw the javelin further than any other Indian athlete.

Neeraj dedicated his gold medal to the legendary Indian athlete Milkha Singh, who passed away a few weeks before the Olympics. Milkha Singh was an inspiration to Neeraj and many other Indian athletes, and his passing was a huge loss for the sports community in India.

Neeraj’s achievements have made him a national hero in India, and he has become an inspiration for many aspiring athletes in the country. He has shown that with hard work, dedication, and the right support, it is possible to achieve great things in the field of sports.

Neeraj’s success has also brought attention to the potential of Indian athletes and the need for better infrastructure and training facilities. He has become a symbol of hope for many young athletes in the country, and his achievements have inspired them to dream big and work hard to achieve their goals.

In conclusion, Neeraj Chopra is a true icon in Indian sports, and his achievements have made the entire nation proud. His dedication, hard work, and determination have been an inspiration to many, and he has shown that with the right support and training, Indian athletes can achieve greatness on the world stage.

Click here for more English writings

Written by Koushik Kumar Kundu

Koushik Kumar Kundu was among the toppers when he completed his Masters from Vidyasagar University after completing his Bachelors degree with Honours in English Literature from The University of Burdwan. He also completed B.Ed from the University of Burdwan.

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Review of Norris Pritam’s The Neeraj Chopra Story : Champion on track

Norris pritam on the spirit of neeraj chopra’s stupendous achievements on the world stage.

Updated - February 16, 2024 09:52 am IST

Published - February 16, 2024 09:02 am IST

Olympic gold medalist Neeraj Chopra after being honoured with a commemorative plaque at Jungfraujoch, known as the ‘Top of Europe’. | Photo Credit: PTI

It’s always challenging to write about a person who is famous because every aspect of his life would have been discussed threadbare. But The Neeraj Chopra Story by veteran sports journalist and former athlete Norris Pritam draws you in with its honest and straight-from-the-heart approach.

Neeraj Chopra at the men’s javelin throw final athletics event during the 2022 Asian Games at Hangzhou Olympic Sports Centre, in Hangzhou, China. | Photo Credit: Getty Images

Embellished with a befitting foreword by six-time world champion and London Olympics bronze medallist boxer M.C. Mary Kom, the book, with simple prose and easy pace, tracks the iconic javelin thrower’s life of a boy from the Haryana hinterland to a history-making global star.

Norris may have missed covering the COVID-marred Tokyo Olympics in 2021, but he has made up for his absence in the Japanese capital by making some hard work to serve readers a Neeraj Chopra story as fresh as he could. His narrative includes everyone who played an important role in making Chopra what he is today — an Olympic and world champion.

Tribute to other greats

Norris revisits Indian athletics’ past to put Chopra’s achievements into perspective. Right from Milkha Singh, Gurbachan Singh Randhawa, Sriram Singh to P.T. Usha and Anju Bobby George, the author has discussed several great athletes to bring us some heartbreaking instances of Indian athletes missing an Olympic medal narrowly.

Some gripping real life examples, which were exclusive to the author because of his days as an athlete, and an elaborate description about the lack of facilities and poor conditions for yesteryear athletes make one understand that it was not the dearth of talent but other factors which dented Indian athletes’ medal hopes at the biggest stage.

Switching his storytelling from being an observer to being a character, Norris tells Chopra’s story with spontaneity and passion. His description of his first meeting with Chopra, which came as a surprise to him, is interesting.

Neeraj Chopra reacts after securing the gold medal at the 19th Asian Games, in Hangzhou, China. | Photo Credit: PTI

More about ‘Nirju’

Interactions with Chopra’s family members, friends, mentors, coaches and colleagues give us an idea about ‘Nirju’ the person and Chopra the dedicated sportsperson, who became the first Indian to win an athletics gold medal in the Olympics.

Klaus Wolfermann | Photo Credit: The Hindu photo archives

Also, views of his rivals and some legends, including 1972 Munich Olympics champion Klaus Wolfermann, add value to the biography. A chapter on South Asian javelin throwers, especially the details about Chopra’s friendly rival Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem, fits well. It clears doubts about the unwanted controversy during the Tokyo Olympics related to use of javelins.

Projecting Chopra as the leader of a javelin revolution in India — with several talented throwers including Kishore Jena, D.P. Manu, Rohit Yadav and Shivpal Singh around — is quite apt.

The attempt to look at the future of Indian athletics following the impetus given to it by Chopra is also welcome. Overall, it’s a good and timely effort by Norris and should win the hearts of sports lovers in an Olympic year.

The Neeraj Chopra Story ; Norris Pritam, Bloomsbury, ₹399.

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Neeraj Chopra to train in three locations across Europe ahead of Paris 2024 Olympics

The Olympic champion will train in Finland, Germany and Turkiye for 60 days. Shotgun shooters Rajeshwari Kumari and Maheshwari Chauhan will also train in Italy.

Star Indian athlete Neeraj Chopra will train in three locations across Europe for 60 days ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympics , where he will defend his men’s javelin throw title.

Neeraj, the reigning Olympic and world champion, will be accompanied by coach Klaus Bartonietz and physio Ishaan Marwaha during his training camps.

The 26-year-old Neeraj will begin his preparation in Kuortane in Finland before moving to Saarbrucken in Germany in June. After spending just over two weeks in Germany, Neeraj will start the final stretch of his preparation at the Gloria Sports Arena in Turkiye, where he will be located until July 28.

The men’s javelin throw competition at Paris 2024 will be held on August 6 (qualifiers) and 8 (final) at the Stade de France.

Neeraj Chopra won the gold medal in javelin throw at the Federation Cup in Bhubaneswar earlier this month. He began the season with a second-place finish at the Doha Diamond League with a throw of 88.36m.

Neeraj was also listed to compete at the Ostrava Golden Spike athletics meet in Czechia earlier this month but withdrew as a precaution after feeling a tweak in his adductor muscle during a practice session.

The Indian javelin ace is expected to compete at the Paavo Nurmi Games in Turku, Finland on June 18 next.

Shotgun shooters Rajeshwari Kumari and Maheshwari Chauhan will also train in Italy in June. Rajeshwari will be accompanied by her personal coach David Kostelecky and she will also compete in the ISSF World Cup in Lonato during her stay in Europe.

Meanwhile, women’s skeet shooter Maheshwari will be training with personal coach Riccardo Fillipelliwill. She will also compete at the Lonato ISSF World Cup.

Indian long jumper Shaili Singh ’s proposal to extend her training camp in Europe till June 23 was also approved by the Mission Olympic Cell (MOC). Shaili will be training in Lisbon, Paris, Athens and Geneva along with coach Bobby George.

The MOC has also approved shuttler Maisnam Meiraba’s proposal to compete at the BWF Super 100 Kaohsiung Masters. Meanwhile, Anupama Upadhyayz will be competing in two events in June – the BWF Super 500 Australia Open and Kaohsiung Masters.

Archer Atanu Das will be training at the Army Sports Institute in Pune for two months along with coach Mim Gurung.

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