Neeraj Chopra
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Contents |
Early life
Briefly
As in 2021, Aug
India Times- The Times of India Aug 7, 2021
Date of Birth: December 24, 1997
Birth Place: Panipat, Haryana
Neeraj hails from Khandra village in Panipat, Haryana. He studied at the DAV College in
Chandigarh.
In 2016, he was appointed as a junior commissioned Officer in the Indian Army as a Naib Subedar.
He currently holds the rank of Subedar.
In March last year, Neeraj had donated Rs 2 lakh to the PM Cares fund for the Covid-19 pandemic.
2013-2021 Aug
Graphic courtesy: [ The Times of India]
Avijit Ghosh, April 23, 2018: The Times of India and Aug 7, 2021
India's wait for [the] elusive gold medal is finally over! Star javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra made history on Saturday by winning gold with an impressive best throw of 87.58 metres. It's only the second individual Olympic gold medal in the country's history after Abhinav Bindra shooting gold in Beijing in 2008. It's also independent India's first medal in a track-and-field event.
Here is the story of a once chubby boy who got into the sport by chance, and went on to give India its rare golden moment.
Neeraj Chopra scripts Olympic history for India with first-ever gold in track-and-field at Tokyo 2020
Neeraj Chopra was just another guy trying to lose flab in a Panipat gym — till a fellow athlete spotted his talent for javelin throws.
Fiddling with bee hives, stealing mangoes and fighting with friends – boyhood was a breeze, a playbook of hinterland pranks for
Neeraj Chopra. Food was the problem. It had too many calories and too much love. 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. The family elders had a simple solution: hit the gym.
Graphic courtesy: [ The Times of India]
When the gym at a nearby village shut down, Neeraj was forced to move to another fitness centre in Panipat, about 15km from his village Khandra in east-central Haryana. Little did he know then that the town would change his life’s direction much the same way it had altered the course of history centuries ago.
Hugging the gym in Panipat, immortalised in medieval history as the site of three decisive battles, stood the unappetising Shiva ji stadium, a magnet nonetheless for dozens of ambitious athletes from nearby villages. Neeraj was jogging at the stadium in the winter of 2010 when he caught the eye of javelin thrower Jai Choudhary aka Jaiveer.
A marginal farmer’s son, Jai comes from Binjhol, a sprawling village roughly 5km away from Neeraj’s own. A devoted athlete, from all accounts, he was just another athlete trying to make it. He recalls how it all began. “One evening at the stadium I just asked him to throw the javelin,” Jaiveer recalls, “It travelled about 35-40m which was pretty impressive for a first-timer. What I liked more was the way he threw it. Neeraj used to be overweight those days. But his body was pretty flexible.” Neeraj says, “I started throwing javelin after watching him. He is like my elder brother.”
As an event, javelin throw was part of the ancient Olympics. Said to evolve from the usage of spear in hunting, the sport marries strength, speed and flexibility; a sound technique its beating heart. A few exceptions aside, European athletes have lorded over the event. Forget the Olympics, before Neeraj’s gold at Gold Coast, India had never won a javelin medal even at the Commonwealth Games.
Having spotted potential, Jai was keen Neeraj commits himself to the sport. A discussion with the teenager’s family followed. They agreed. But raising resources was a challenge. Neeraj’s family owns a combined eight acres of farmland. At Khandra, the family of four brothers, 16 members in all, live in an ancestral home. They own two buffaloes and three cows. One of the cows, Surendra says, produces 44 litres of milk every day. “Three of us are employed in modest private jobs. Neeraj’s involvement in sports needed us to reallocate our resources,” says Surendra.
Before Neeraj’s gold medal at Gold Coast, India had never won a javelin medal at the Commonwealth Games
Practice javelins are priced at anywhere between Rs 15,000-20,000. But a quality javelin used in international competitions can set you back by Rs 1 lakh or more, says Jai. Quality sneakers with spikes used by professional athletes also cost over Rs 10,000. “We wanted to reconstruct our ancestral house. We put that idea on pause. Instead we focused our resources on Neeraj,” he says.
In 2011, a group of four athletes, including Neeraj and Jai, from Panipat shifted to Panchkula Athletics Nursery where they trained together. “Coach Naseem Ahmad supported us there,” Neeraj says. In the first next few years, he blossomed as a young athlete making a clutch of podium finishes home and abroad. It was a moment of serendipity for every Indian sports lover when he created a new record of 86.48m in the World U-20 Championships in Poland in 2016. At Gold Coast, the javelin landed one centimetre short, 86.47m. With a similar throw, he would have won a silver in 2016 Rio Olympics. International Association of Athletic Federations' (IAAF) records show Neeraj’s was the second-best outdoor throw in men’s javelin this year.
The 1997-born Neeraj is taking one step at a time: the elite Diamond League in Europe first, followed by Asian Games in Jakarta in August [2018?]. He has been coached by the best: Australian Garry Calvert and two Germans, Werner Daniels, and now, the legendary Uwe Hohn. “Hohm has asked me work on my technical deficiencies. With training, I will improve,” he says. Adds Jai, “He’s a special talent. He can throw as far as 95m.”
It’s sad that Jai’s own career was plagued by injuries. “In the 2010 nationals, I finished seventh. But I had to undergo a double
surgery on my elbow and was out of action for years. Now I am back, training hard and raring to go,” says Jai, now 27.
“I want him to be fit. It would be great if we both participate in a top competition,” says Neeraj, 20, who was to receive Rs 1.5 crore from Haryana government for the CWG gold. He is also a naib subedar with Rajputana Rifles.
Bolstered by cash rewards received earlier, Neeraj’s family is on firmer footing. A two-storeyed baithak (for guests), with six rooms, for friends and guests is getting ready. The ancestral home, though, remains to be rebuilt. A quote hangs on the wall in the drawing room: A single idea can light up your life. Who knows that better than Neeraj Chopra?
Details
From: August 9, 2021: The Times of India
From: August 9, 2021: The Times of India
From: August 9, 2021: The Times of India
From: August 9, 2021: The Times of India
From: August 9, 2021: The Times of India
From: August 9, 2021: The Times of India
See graphics:
Neeraj Chopra- A brief biography
Rules of the sport- Javelin throw
The 3 ways of holding the Javelin and some other rules
Gold medal throws, 1920- 2020
Neeraj Chopra- in the Olympics 2020
Javelin throw- the throws, Olympics 2020
Among ‘10 magical moments’ of the Olympiad
August 12, 2021: The Times of India
Star javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra’s historic gold-winning feat in the Olympics was listed as one of the 10 magical moments of track and field in the Tokyo Games by World Athletics. The 23-year-Chopra clinched the country's maiden Olympic medal in athletics with a best throw of 87.58m on Saturday to become only the second Indian to win an individual yellow metal in the Games.
“Most keen followers of the sport had heard of Neeraj Chopra before the Olympic Games. But after winning the javelin in Tokyo, and in the process becoming India's first athletics gold medallist in Olympic history, Chopra's profile sky-rocketed,” the global governing body said on its website.
WA noted that the 23-yearold Chopra had 143,000 followers before the Olympics, but now has a staggering 3.2million (on Instagram), making him the most followed track and field athlete in the world. In a tweet posted after winning the gold in Tokyo, Chopra has said, “To all of India and beyond, thank you so much for your support and blessings that have helped me reach this stage. This moment will live with me forever.”
Gymnastics legend Nadia Comaneci congratulated Chopra on Twitter. PTI
2021 Aug: The throw to Gold
Graphic courtesy: [ The Times of India]
Not his best, yet a gold
Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra has been improving over years, and he can throw farther than his gold-winning 87.58m
88.07m is his national record-winning throw
How Neeraj Chopra sealed the Olympic gold with his second throw at the javelin finals
1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th
Neeraj Chopra🥇 87.03 87.58 76.79 - - 84.24
Jakub Vadlejch🥈 83.98 - - 82.86 86.67 –
Vitezslav Vesely🥉 79.73 80.30 85.44 - 84.98 –
Julian Weber 85.30 77.90 78.00 83.10 85.15 75.72
Arshad Nadeem 82.40 - 84.62 82.91 81.92 –
(Figures in metres)
2013-2023
From: ALOK SINHA, August 6, 2024: The Times of India
See graphic:
Neeraj at international events, 2013 – 2023
Achievements
From: ALOK SINHA, August 9, 2024: The Times of India
See graphic:
Neeraj Chopra's medal-winning throws, 2018-24
2018
January 23, 2018: The Times of India
Won a gold medal at the Asian Athletics Championship while breaking the men’s javelin meet record with an effort of 85.23 meters. Won a javelin silver at the Asian Grand Prix in Jiaxing, China to qualify for the IAFF World Championships. He threw a distance of 83.32m. Won silver medals in the javelin events during the first two legs of the Asian Grand Prix in China’s Jinhua and Jiaxing with throws of 82.11m and 83.32m respectively.
His performance in Jiaxing sealed his passage to the IAFF World Championships (failed to qualify for the final). Finished with in the 10-man elite field with a best effort of 84.67m at the prestigious IAFF Athletics Diamond League in Paris.
2021
Neeraj’s personal best has been 88.07m, which came earlier this year at the third leg of the Indian Grand Prix in Patiala.
2013 – 2023 August
From: Biju BabuCyriac, August 26, 2023: The Times of India
From: Biju BabuCyriac, August 26, 2023: The Times of India
See graphics:
Neeraj's marks over the years, 2013-2023
Neeraj’s top achievements, 2023
Coaches
Kashi
Biju BabuCyriac, August 9, 2021: The Times of India
The story of Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra’s rise from Panipat to the podium is now well-known to millions of sports fans. As the 23-yearold javelin thrower rose through the ranks to reach the pinnacle, he has never forgotten to express his gratitude to those who helped him through the journey.
Chopra always held his coaches in high esteem, starting from Jaiveer Choudhary, who spotted him, to Dr Klaus Bartonietz, who helped him during the last two years. Among those who contributed to his all-round development are two Indians, Jaiveer and Kashinath Naik, besides Australian Gary Calvert and German legend Uwe Hohn.
Naik won the bronze medal for India at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi, a year before Chopra started training with coach Jaiveer as a 14-year-old. It was India’s first medal in javelin in CWG and the first after the 1982 medal won at the Asian Games.
After his days as an athlete ended, Naik turned to coaching and was assisting Calvert when Chopra won the gold medal with a junior world record at the U-20 World Championships in Poland in 2016.
“Neeraj was selected for the national camp after he impressed all as a junior in the 2015 Federation Cup. He was skinny, throwing with a lot of energy and finished fourth or fifth. It helped him get selected,” Naik, who was a national coach from 2013-18, told TOI.
Naik said Neeraj soon won his first national senior medal in the next few months “At the Inter-State in Mangaluru, Devender came first with his personal best of 79m and Neeraj was second with a throw of 75m. Then I took him to compete at the 2015 Asian Championships in Wuhan. Neeraj couldn’t do well as it was raining and only managed a throw of 73-75m.”
“Next up was the 2016 South Asian Games and Neeraj did an 82.28m. Then came Calvert and we travelled to Poland where he won the gold in Junior World Championships. But Calvert was here for just over a year before he fell out with AFI and left in 2017,” Naik said.
Naik recalled that after Calvert left, Chopra was without a foreign coach and it was at this time that JSW Sports sent him to Finland to train with Werner Daniel.
Naik to get cash award
Chopra’s big win has brought the focus back on Naik and on Sunday the Karnataka government announced a cash award of Rs 10 lakh for the coach for guiding Chopra.
Injuries
2017-2024 Aug
August 10, 2024: The Times of India
1 Back injury (April 2016) | Neeraj sustained the injury during the Federation Cup in New Delhi after having being crowned the South Asian Games (SAG) champion. Doctors advised him a month’s bed rest
2 Groin injury (Aug 2017) | This happened during the Zürich Weltklasse meet in Switzerland during his third attempt of 83.39m. He attributed the injury to a heavy schedule and the lack of a proper diet and rest. He Withdrew from competition for the remainder of the season
3 Elbow injury (May 2019) | Neeraj missed the World Championships in Doha due to an injury to his right elbow and underwent surgery to remove bone spurs in Mumbai. The recovery took him 16 months
4 Exhaustion (June 2021) | Neeraj withdrew from the Spitzen Leichtathletik Luzern meet due to what was termed as severe fatigue
5 Groin injury (Aug 2022) | Neeraj picked up this injury at the Oregon World Championships and subsequently pulled out of the Birmingham Commonwealth Games
6 Calf strain (May 2023) | This was sustained during training and led to him skipping the FBK Games in the Netherlands
7 Adductor muscle injury (May 2024)| This, too, happened during training sessions, leading to a pullout from the Ostrava Golden Spike meetskipping the FBK Games
8 Groin injury (Aug 2024) | Neeraj revealed that he entered the Paris Olympics carrying a groin injury. For faster recovery, the coaching team restricted his running and cross-step training.
Personal life
Arshad Nadeem, friendship with
August 9, 2024: The Times of India
NEW DELHI: Neeraj Chopra and Arshad Nadeem, two of the finest javelin throwers in the world from India and Pakistan respectively, exemplify a camaraderie that surpasses the traditional rivalries between their nations. Their friendship, which took root in 2016, has flourished both on and off the athletic field, displaying a remarkable bond between competitors.This relationship was notably highlighted in the lead-up to the Paris 2024 Olympics, where Chopra played a crucial role in ensuring that Nadeem took part in the Games with the best possible preparations.
In March 2024, a few months prior to the Olympics, Nadeem encountered a significant setback when his javelin, a companion in his athletic journey for nearly eight years, was rendered unusable.
Given the pivotal role of equipment in an athlete's performance, this posed a serious challenge to his Olympic aspirations. Despite seeking assistance, the support from his national federation was not forthcoming, placing Nadeem in a precarious position.
Upon learning of Nadeem's dilemma, Chopra took an active step to aid his friend and competitor. Recognizing the importance of proper equipment for an athlete of Nadeem's calibre, Chopra publicly advocated for support to address the Pakistani athlete's equipment needs.
"Arshad is a top javelin thrower, and I believe that the javelin makers will be more than happy to sponsor him and provide what he needs. This is a piece of advice from my side," Chopra said.
Chopra's appeal was met with a positive response, enabling Nadeem to secure the necessary support and equipment. This intervention was pivotal for Nadeem, who went on to clinch Pakistan's first-ever individual Olympic gold medal in Paris with an impressive throw of 92.97 meters. Chopra, on the other hand, secured the silver medal, adding another medal to his illustrious career tally.
Despite being fierce competitors on the field, they showcased the power of friendship and support that transcends borders. Neeraj's gesture played a crucial role in Arshad's historic achievement at the Paris 2024 Olympics, reminding us all that sometimes, the greatest victories come not just from winning medals but from uplifting others along the way.
YEAR-WISE STATISTICS
2016- 2021 Aug (Olympic Gold)
India Times- The Times of India Aug 7, 2021
Personal Best: 88.07m (national record)
- Gold medal in Tokyo Olympics
- 2018 Asian Games gold medal
- 2018 Commonwealth Games gold medal
- 2016 World Junior champion
- Junior world record holder
Young javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra has established himself as the one of the brightest track and field stars from India in recent times. Chopra came into the limelight with a stunning gold medal at the 2016 Junior World Championships in Poland.
He broke the junior world record with a throw of 86.48m, which was even farther than the distance thrown to win the bronze medal a month later at the Rio Olympics.
He made further strides with gold medal winning efforts at the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games in 2018. At the Asiad in Indonesia (2018), he established a new national record with a throw of 88.06m.
In May 2019, Neeraj underwent elbow surgery on his throwing arm. He missed the IAAF World Championships, the Diamond League and the Asian Championships while recovering from the injury. He was expected to compete at the National Championships at the end of 2019, but the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) didn't give him permission to compete, which in turn gave him more time to heal.
Neeraj though made an impressive comeback, post surgery, qualifying for the Tokyo Olympics with a throw of 87.86m at the ACNE League meeting in South Africa in January 2020.
Like all athletes the world over, Chopra too missed quality competitions due to the Covid-19 pandemic for more than a year. But he broke his own National record this year in March, throwing a distance of 88.07m in Patiala, which was also his season's best throw.
2018
August 14, 2018: The Times of India
India’s flag bearer at this Asian Games, Chopra has emerged as the country’s best athlete on the international stage after the exit of long jumper Anju Bobby George. The Haryana javelin thrower, who is already among the best in the world, won his first big gold at the Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast. In Jakarta, he will face serious challenge from the Chinese and South Koreans.
Gold at the Asiad
From: Biswajyoti Brahma, Neeraj Chopra Wins Javelin Gold With A National Record To Boot, August 28, 2018: The Times of India
Neeraj Chopra is like some homespun Greek legend. A young, wild-haired Apollo borrowing Athena’s spear and infusing it with Zeus’s thunderbolt wrath. Running in with the weapon of choice, gaining propulsion to lunge in the air and crash onto the floor in that most unusual of follow-throughs, Neeraj strode upon the Asian Games athletics programme in the only way he can as the spear soared and soared in the humid Jakarta air.
He added yet another feather to his burgeoning young career with a thumping win in the men’s javelin – his 88.06m far and wide beyond the second-placed 82.22m by China’s Liu Qizhen, and Arshad Nadeem of Pakistan, who took bronze. It was the sixth best throw of the season, bettering the national record he himself set earlier this year – 87.43m at the Doha Diamond League in May. On Monday, it seemed so effortless, so easy, almost as if he were flinging toothpicks into the air and they were landing where he wanted them to. Yet, we knew of the magnitude of the 20-year-old’s effort when he still missed the Games record by a mere 1.09m, set by Liu’s countryman, Zhao Qinggang with his 89.15m at the 2014 Incheon Games.
Neeraj, who burst onto the athletics scene with a U-20 World Championship gold in 2016, was in emulation mode on Monday. He became the first Indian athlete to win a gold in the Commonwealth and Asian Games in the same year since the great Milkha Singh in 1958 (400m gold in Cardiff and Tokyo). Also, India had last finished on the javelin podium way back at the 1982 Asian Games in New Delhi, when Gurtej Singh won a bronze for the nation. “Of all medals I have won so far, this one takes the cake,” said the Panipat-boy later. “I had a good outing and I am happy with it. I was expecting to set an Asian Games record, it did not happen, but I will take it,” he added.
With Neeraj, Indians featured in seven athletics finals at the GBK Main stadium on Monday, and ended up finishing with three more silver in track and field. Dharun Ayyasamy set a new national mark in men’s 400m hurdles, veteran Sudha Singh (women’s 3000m steeplechase) and daughter of a daily wage earner, Neena Varakil (women’s long jump), also finished second to add to India’s medal tally long before the hinterland legend was capping the day with his powerful javelin bolts. It was India’s second gold in the Asian Games here after Tajinderpal Singh Toor’s in shot put two days earlier.
The 21-year-old Dharun, a thirdyear college student, pushed himself hard to settle for silver in the 400m hurdles where Qatar’s Abderrrahman Samba finished first with a Games record timing of 47.66 sec. Dharun’s feat at 48.96 was better than thirdplaced Takatoshi Abe of Japan (49.12). The man from Tamil Nadu bettered the 11-year-old national mark of Joseph Abraham set at the World Championships in Osaka in 2007.
Steeplechaser Sudha, winner of the gold in the 2010 Asian Games, came out with a silver here, but she had no qualms. Sudha had a slow start to the race and finished with a timing of 9:40.03, behind Bahrain’s Winfred Yavi (9:36.52). The bronze was won by Thi Oanh Nguyen of Vietnam (9:43.83). “I had a slow first one km, but I was faster thereafter. In Incheon (Asian Games), I had a better timing but had no medals to show for my effort. My target here was to win a medal and the timing was incidental,” she said.
The 32-year-old said that her critics had written her off due to her age, but she was happy to prove them wrong with the silver. She also said that she will be in fray for the 2020 Olympics. “If I am performing, I should keep competing,” she said.
Neena shone in the evening in the long jump even when she finished behind gold medal winner Thi Thu Thao Bui of Vietnam who jumped to a distance of 6.55m, her season best. Neena was a close second with 6.51 while Xioaling Xu of Chian took the bronze at 6.50. The girl from Kerala had deliberately delayed her arrival in Jakarta in order to avoid the “misfortune” she had to endure in Gold Coast in April.
Among other Indians in the final, Anu Raghavan and Jauna Murmu came fourth and sixth respectively in women’s 400m hurdles, while Shivpal Singh had just one throw out of six due to an elbow injury to finish 8th in men’s javelin. Nayana James failed to qualify for final and finished 10th in women’s long jump. Chinta came 11th in women’s 3000m steeplechase, Santosh Kumar finished 5th in men’s 400m hurdles. Shaker Lal Swami came 8th in men’s 3000m steeplechase, while Chethan Balasubramanya was 8th in men’s high jump.
Gold at Sotteville Athletics
July 19, 2018: The Times of India
India’s star javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra comfortably won the gold at the Sotteville Athletics meet in France, beating a competitive field which included 2012 London Olympics gold-medallist Keshorn Walcott.
Chopra’s throw of 85.17m put him way ahead of the field, including Moldova’s Andrian Mardare (81.48m) and Lithuania’s Edis Matusevicius (79.31m), who finished second and third respectively.
Walcott of Trinidad and Tobago came up with a throw of 78.26m, which was only enough for fifth place. The 20-year-old Indian from Panipat had first made headlines when he won the gold in the 2016 World Junior Championship with a record throw of 86.48m.
He also won the gold at the Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast earlier this year before breaking the national record with a 87.43m effort at the Doha Diamond League.
Gold at Savo, Finland
July 30, 2018: The Times of India
Star javelin thrower Neeraj Choprs won a gold in the Savo Games in Finland beating his Chinese Taipei rival Chao-Tsun Cheng as the duo warmed up for the Asian Games.
Neeraj, the reigning Commonwealth Games gold medallist and Asian season leader, threw 85.69m in the event held at Lapinlahti, Finland, where he is undergoing training as part of preparations for the Asian Games. Cheng managed 82.52m to take the second place.
The 23-year-old Cheng is the only Asian to have thrown the javelin beyond 90m. He threw 91.36m during the World University Games last year to shatter the Asian record of 89.15m set by Zhao Qinggang of China at the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon.
2022
June-September
Sabi Hussain, Sep 10, 2022: The Times of India
New Delhi : Neeraj Chopra will not participate in the upcoming edition of the 36th National Games despite the Indian Olympic Association’s (IOA) diktat making it “necessary” for the country’s eminent athletes to compete in the multi-sport event, scheduled from September 29 to October 12 in six cities of Gujarat. For Neeraj, it’s important to give his “tired” body ample rest and recovery period for the tough challenges ahead next year.
The current season — during which he won the historic silver medal at the World Championships in Eugene and the prestigious Diamond League Trophy on late Thursday — has been hectic. . “As per my schedule planned at the start of the year, this was supposed to be my last event of the season. I would have participated at the Asian Games around this time but that was postponed. We already knew about it, so my season ended with the Zurich event. The dates for the National Games were announced recently. I have consulted with my coach (Dr Klaus Bartonietz) and he advised me to rest and prepare for the crucial season next year,which includes the World Championships and Asian Games”, Neeraj said.
:I have just recovered from a groin injury. If I train and compete, it could become risky. My uncle and friends have travelled from India and are here in Zurich. So, I will be vacationing with them for one or two weeks before returning to India. After that, I will come back home to begin my rehabilitation programme,” Neeraj said.
2023
World Championship gold medal
Neeraj proves an anomaly in the Indian context
He is team morale-booster by choice. It was his gentle, but firm rebuke of trolls that picked on Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem for mistak enly picking the Indian’s javelin at Tokyo that marked out his possessing a mind of his own and being unafraid to show it.
He was among the first to speak out in support of the protesting wrestlers at Jantar Mantar before it was politicised out of shape. On Sunday, he was chiding Arshad for forgetting the Pakistani flag as the gold and silver winners posed trackside for photographers. Nadeem smiled sheepishly; Neeraj just shook his head.
Imagine what a powerful image it would have made in these times. Their nations’ flags spread in the stadium air, an Indian and Pakistani celebrating a one-two on the world summit, creating a much-needed rivalry for the region’s people as other traditional ones have been strangled and left gasping for life.
