Neeraj Chopra – The Gold Man of India

Neeraj Chopra, The Gold Man of India, The Star of India, etc. Everyone is giving a new name in honour of this Indian Gem who won the first-ever gold for India in the Tokyo Olympics 2020. He made the country proud with his astonishing performance in the javelin throw and secured Gold.  With his astounding javelin throw of 87.58 meters in the finals of the Tokyo Olympics 2020, India’s 100-year wait for Gold has come to an end. 

Now, let’s have a look at the earlier life and the achievements of the Gold man of India. 

Neeraj Chopra Biography

The living legend of India, the Gold Man was born in Panipat, Haryana on 24th December 1997. He is 23 and an Olympic Gold Winner of India. He went to DAV College for his education. He belongs to a Haryanvi agricultural family.

The Gold Man has another identity as Subedar Neerja Chopra in the Indian Army. Neeraj Chopra joined the Army through sports quota at the post of Naib Subedar in 2016. The parent unit he joined was the Rajputana Rifles. He was promoted to Subedar rank and received recognition for his contribution to sports. Neeraj Chopra is a perfect example of Where there is a Will, there is a Way. He made his country and Armed forces proud by creating history in the Tokyo Olympics 2020.

Neeraj Chopra – Career

Below are the career details of Neeraj Chopra.

Early Career

Local children used to tease Neeraj for his obesity. His father enrolled him to the Gym and he used to visit Panipat Sports Authority of India where Jaiveer Chaudhary, a javelin thrower recognised his talent. Neeraj was capable enough to throw 40 meters without any training or practice. Jaiveer became his first coach from there. 

After 1 year, he went to Tau Devi Lal Sports Complex in Panchkula where his coach Naseem Ahmed trained him for long-distance running and javelin throw. Under the training of Naseem Ahmed, he became capable of throwing 68.40-meter javelin and won the 2012 junior nationals in Lucknow. 

In year 2013, he competed at international level in the world youth championship, Ukraine. His first international medal was silver that he won at the youth Olympic qualification, Bangkok. 

In 2014, he achieved his first throw of 70 meters in senior nationals and in year 2015, he made world record in javelin throw in junior category of 81.04 meters in All India Inter-University Athletic Meet 2015. 

Later he received a call from a national level training camp and he left Panchkula to train in NIS Patiala in 2016. In the same year he won he secured Gold in the 2016 South Asian Games where he achieved an astonishing throw of 84.23 meters and equalled the Indian national record. 

Impressed with his performance, he was appointed as NaibSubedar in Rajputana rifles. This post, typically, was not for athletes, who were posted as NCO.  

2017 – 2020 Career

In 2017, Neeraj won Gold in the Asian Athlete Championship 2017 with amazing throw of 85.23 meters. 

In 2018 at commonwealth games in Men’s javelin throw, he registered as season-best effort of 86.47 meters and became one of the few Indian athletes to win Gold in Commonwealth Games. In 2018, he broke the national record of Doha Diamond League with throw of 87.43 meters.  Neeraj made his appearance at the Asian Games representing India and was also the flag-bearer for the Indian contingent during the Asian Games Parade of Nations 2018. Neeraj won gold in the Asian Games 2018 with a throw of 88.06 m and sets a new Indian national record, bettering his own previous record. At the Asian Games, this was India’s first gold medal in javelin’s throw. Neeraj was awarded by Arjuna Award in September 2018. In the same year, he was rewarded by the army with an out-of-turn promotion to Subedar. 

In 2019, Neeraj was suffering from an elbow injury so he underwent surgery on 2 May 2019 in Mumbai. And it is the day after the qualifying competitions for the Olympics Tokyo 2020 had begun. After a period of recuperation, involving rehabilitative and meditation training at IIS Vijayanagar and the Patiala, Neeraj traveled to South Africa in November 2019 for training under German biomechanics expert Klaus Bartoneitz. 

In 2020, Neeraj Chopra won the Athletics Central North West League Meeting in Potchefstroom, South Africa, a throw of 87.86 meters. This distance is over 85 meters which qualified him for the Tokyo Olympiad. After South Africa, Neeraj travelled to Turkey for training but was forced to return to India due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Then Neeraj gave next year’s training at the NIS Patiala. Later, the Athletics Federation of India and the Odisha state government aid the national javelin team by providing a training camp at Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar, which Neeraj attended from December 2020 through February 2021. In 2021, Neeraj again broke his national record with a new amazing throw of 88.07m, ranking him third-best internationally.

Neeraj Chopra in the Olympics 

Neeraj chopra continues his excellence in Olympics games too and became the first Indian to win two Olympics medal in track & field games.

Paris Olympics 2024

Neeraj Chopra won the silver medal in men’s Javelin throw; a track & field game in Paris Olympics 2024. His best throw in Olympics 2024 was of 89.45 meters, which push him on second position to secure a silver medal. He is also the first Indian to win two Olympic medals in track and field games.

Pakistan’s Arshad Naeedm won the gold medal with an Olympic record breaking performance of 92.97 meter throw.

Tokyo Olympics 2020

Neeraj appeared at the Olympics representing India at the 2020 Summer Olympics. He was placed in Group A on 4 August 2021. Neeraj won the gold medal in the final on 7 August with a throw of 87.58 m, becoming the first Indian Olympian to win a gold medal in athletics. It was also the first post-independence Indian Olympic medalist in athletics. Neeraj and his historic victory at the Tokyo Olympics have won everyone’s hearts in the country.

23-year-old Neeraj has become the first Indian in over 120 years, to win an Olympic medal in track-and-field games. The first Olympic track and field medal was won by Norman Pritchard in the 1900 Paris Olympics in 200 meters and 200 meters hurdles event. Thus Neeraj became only the second Olympic track and field medalist for India. He is the youngest Olympic gold medalist in the country. He is the first Javelin thrower Olympic Gold medalist of India. Neeraj dedicated his win to sprinters P. T. Usha and Milkha Singh both former Olympians from India.

Awards and Recognition

National awards and decorations

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

Rewards announced by various organizations for winning the gold medal at the Olympics Tokyo 2020

• From the Government of India – ₹75 lakh
• From the Government of Haryana, a Class-I state government appointment, and a plot of land for an athletics center – ₹6 crores
• From BYJU’S – ₹2 crores
• From the Government of Punjab – ₹2 crores
• From the Government of Manipur – ₹1 crore
• From Chennai Super Kings and a personalized jersey – ₹1 crore
• From the Board of Control for Cricket in India – ₹1 crore
• From the Elan realty group Gurugram – ₹25 lakh
• From the Indian Olympic Association – ₹75 lakh

Neeraj Chopra’s Tweets

“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.”

“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.”

Here’s what others are saying. Have a look.

Klaus Bartonietz, the coach of Neeraj Chopra, said he felt “overwhelming joy” after Neeraj became the “best javelin thrower in the world”.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted, “History has been scripted at Tokyo! What Neeraj Chopra has achieved today will be remembered forever. The young Neeraj has done exceptionally well. He played with remarkable passion and showed unparalleled grit. Congratulations to him for winning the Gold.”

Also Read: The Olympic Games: History, Significance, Achievements, and Disputes