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Neeraj Chopra: Know Everything About India’s Golden Boy!

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As people around the world embraced the news that Naib Subedar Neeraj Chopra had won a historic gold medal in the javelin throw at the Tokyo Olympics with a record 87.58 meters, Indians were filled with pride and joy. With this win, he became the first Indian to win an Olympic Gold Medal in athletics and the second Indian after Abhinav Bindra to win an Olympic gold medal.

Neeraj’s Stepping Stones Towards The Sport:

Neeraj Chopra was born in the Khandra district of Haryana on 24 December 1997 to Saroj Devi and Satish Kumar. As we are aware that Haryana is known for its contribution to the field of sports; Neeraj’s family was not wary of establishing their son’s career in sports. Neeraj began his training at Panipat’s Shivaji Stadium where he met his first coach, Jaiveer Chaudhary. Chopra trained in Panipat for a year. By the time he was 13 years old, he enrolled at Tau Devi Lal Sports Complex in Panchkula under the guidance of coach Naseem Ahmed. Neeraj’s prominence took off when he received his first international silver medal in 2014 during the Youth Olympics qualification, held in Bangkok. Chopra was approached for a National Level of Training at NIS Patiala in 2015, where he started his training in 2016.

The Indian Army has a long history of inducting outstanding athletes into the military in order to provide them with the best possible assistance. Neeraj Chopra was enrolled in the Indian Army as a Junior Commissioned Officer in the Rajputana Rifles regiment under this initiative in 2016. He was just an 18-year-old teenager at the time, proving to the world what a person with zeal and determination can do.

His Journey From Playing As An Amateur To Performing Like A Pro!

Every year offered new obstacles for the athlete, but his desire to improve with each passing day began to garner him honors. Neeraj Chopra earned yet another gold medal in the Asian Athletics Games in 2017. Then arrived the 2018 Commonwealth Games, where Chopra not only won a gold medal but also became one of the rare athletes to rank first during their debut performance. In the same year, Neeraj won a gold medal and set a new world record at the Asian Games in Jakarta. A particular highlight for the player came in 2018 when he won two international gold medals in addition to the Arjuna Award.

After giving his all at the Asian Games, Neeraj found himself in the shadow of a far larger win, forcing him to practice triple folds. He began his training with Klaus Bartoneitz, a German Biomechanics expert based in South Africa, in 2019. By the end of the year, the world had been struck by the epidemic, bringing everything to a standstill and forcing Neeraj to return to train at NIS Patiala. The sportsman chose the year 2020 to focus on improving his game and preparing for forthcoming international tournaments. When things started getting brighter in the year 2021, Neeraj attended a tournament in Lisbon, Portugal, where he once again demonstrated his worth by capturing a gold medal with a throw of 83.18m. His next goal was the Olympics, which were to be hosted in Tokyo, and what transpired after that is well known worldwide.

Neeraj Receives The Highest Award For His Excellence:

Before each Republic Day, a list of National Awards is announced, which are granted to those who have made the country proud with their remarkable efforts. Because Naib Subedar Neeraj Chopra is a member of the Indian Army, he was awarded the Param Vishisht Seva Medal (PVSM) for doing his utmost to serve the country and make it proud. The troops of the Indian Army have recently urged to upgrade him as a commissioned officer and should be promoted to the rank of Lieutenant. They feel that he can be an asset to the organization and has the potential to rise to the rank of brigadier.

Documenting The Success Story Of The Athlete:

Honoring the journey and efforts of Neeraj Chopra, author Arjun Sigh Kadian wrote a Biography “Neeraj Chopra: From Panipat to the Podium” that goes into detail on the athlete’s life and path to becoming the country’s “Golden Boy.” The novel starts with the early life of the athlete at Khandpur proceeding towards his training days and his quest to conquer the world.

We have shared our insights about the Athlete and how he progressed to make the entire nation proud. Tell us what inspires you about him and his life in the comment section below. 


Last Updated : 22 Sep, 2023
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