by Neeraj Chopra is an international track and field athlete from India. Neeraj has accomplished a lot since his youth. In 2021, he will represent India at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, winning India’s first gold medal in the javelin throw event. After his successful Olympic campaign, Neeraj placed him second in the international rankings of World Athletics.
Neeraj is serving as a Junior Commission Officer (JCO) in the Indian Army in parallel with his sporting career. Several world records were attached to his name in 2016 when he became the first Indian athlete to set a world record by throwing 86.48m javelin at the U20 World Games.
Neeraj Chopra Personal Life:
Neeraj was born on 24th December 1997 in Chandra Village, Haryana. Neeraj is the only son of his parents, along with his two sisters. Neeraj’s father is a farmer, and his mother is a housewife.
Neeraj moved to Chandigarh to complete his degree after completing his secondary education in his hometown, Dayanand graduated from his Anglo Vedic College. In 2021, Neeraj enrolled at Lovely Professional University in Punjab with a bachelor’s degree.
Neeraj Chopra Athletic Career:
Like many other successful people, Neeraj drew inspiration from his own weaknesses, teased by his friends about his childhood obesity. Because of this, his father accepted him into the gymnasium and then joined the gymnasium at Shivaji Stadium in Panipat.
He then started training and took an interest in javelin throwing. In 2010 he completed a licensing exam at the Indian Sports Authority Centre.
Luckily, he was recognized by the famous javelin thrower Jaiveer Choudhary and decided to train Neeraj. He then joined other professional javelin throwers in Jalandhar for further training.
Neeraj won his first medal in his district championship and asked his father for permission to live in Panipat for further training.
Neeraj Chopra International Career Start:
In 2013, Neeraj competed in his first international athletics competition as the World Youth Championships in Ukraine. Neeraj didn’t medal here, but he used the knowledge and experience he used in his 2014 Youth Olympic qualifiers to win silver for his 70m throw. Neeraj has since won medals in several national and international events from 2014 to 2021.
Some of his most his recognized achievements during this time are as follows-
- 2017 Asian Athletics Championships – Gold
- 2018 Commonwealth Games – Gold and became the first Indian player to win in commonwealth games.
- Asian Games 2018 – Gold
Neeraj Chopra Journey to Olympic Gold:
Neeraj’s journey to gold was not so easy as he faced several hurdles that prevented him from participating in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. For many other athletes, there are also no outdoor training facilities or permits during the Covid-19 pandemic. Still, these issues could not distract Neeraj from his goal of winning an Olympic gold medal.
He continued his training under the guidance of Horn from Germany, who holds the world record for the 104.80 m javelin throw. Hohn always kept his Neeraj motivated and constantly worked to improve his Neeraj pitching technique.
Neeraj Chopra Awards:
Neeraj Chopra has received many awards for his unparalleled contributions to the sport. Some of the most notable awards include the Padma Shri Award, the Param Visisht Seva Medal and the Indian Army Visisht Seva Medal.
