From a village in Haryana to becoming one of the biggest stars in Indian sports, Neeraj Chopra, who started playing sports to lose weight, is so proud that he is writing a new triumph every step of the way. Two years ago in Tokyo, he won India’s first ever yellow medal in an Olympic track and field event. At the time, he was just 23 years old and became the second Indian after the great shooter Abhinav Bindra to win gold in an individual event at the Olympics. India, long dreaming of a medal in athletics, got a shining star overnight. The entire country basked in the glow of their success and this process continues unabated.
This video of Neeraj Chopra with Arshad Nadeem is a banger, won hearts with a gold medal.
Bindra won the gold medal in the 10m air rifle event at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Earlier, the Indian hockey team had put eight golds in India’s bag. Now, Chopra has given Indians another chance to be proud by winning gold at the World Championships in Budapest on Sunday. The last week was historic for India with the success of Chandrayaan 3, Chopra became the world champion after R Pragyananda’s success as runner-up in the FIDE Chess World Cup.
Chopra has now become the second Indian after Bindra to win the Olympic and World titles at the same time. Bindra won the World Championship at the age of 23 and the Olympic gold at the age of 25.
Neeraj Chopra’s first reaction after winning gold in the World Championship, said- 90m mark…
If the fitness level is maintained, Chopra can touch many new heights now. He can play at least two more Olympics and two World Championships. Chopra, who first shone around the world by winning the World Junior Championship 2016, wrote his name in the history of Indian sports by winning gold in Tokyo. The way the entire country showered him with affection was unprecedented. Till now this was seen only for cricketers.
After Tokyo, he had to attend numerous award ceremonies, which caused him to gain weight and he was unable to practice for many events. But then he vowed not to repeat it.
Chopra became the most searched Indian celebrity online after the Tokyo Olympics. Even above Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. There was a queue of sponsors at his door. His followers on Twitter and Instagram are constantly increasing. In December last year, he overtook sprinter Usain Bolt to become the world’s most written about athlete. 812 articles have been published under his name.
Since the Tokyo Olympics, consistency in performance has been the key to his success. He has thrown over 86 meters in each tournament in the last two years. In June last year, he finished second in the Stockholm Diamond League with a throw of 89.94m.
Chopra may not be as eloquent as Bindra but he charms everyone with his humility. Never disappoints selfie or autograph seekers in India and abroad. He speaks from the heart and has no qualms about being a Hindi speaker.
An extremely mischievous child, Chopra grew up in a joint family and gained weight in a pampered manner. At the insistence of his family, he started playing to lose weight. His uncle used to take him to Shivaji Stadium in Panipat. He did not enjoy running but fell in love with javelin throwing. He thought of trying his hand at it and the rest is history that children will read in school books in the future.