Neeraj Chopra – Career, Medal List, Records and Personal Achievements

Posted By: Himanshu Sharma

Posted On: August 28, 2023

Neeraj Chopra’s Biography: Neeraj Chopra stands as one of India’s most exceptional athletes, driven to bring honor to the nation on the global sports stage. Presently, he holds the title of an Olympic World Champion and has just earned a silver medal at the Javelin throw world Championship. In 2003, he followed in the footsteps of Anju Bobby George, becoming the second Indian to seize a medal at the World Athletics Championships.

Neeraj Chopra, an athlete from India, is now the Javelin throw Olympic world champion and has just secured a silver medal at the world championship. He holds the distinction of being the first Asian to achieve an Olympic gold medal in men’s javelin throw.

Neeraj Chopra Biography

Neeraj Chopra Family

Neeraj was born in Panipat. His dad, Satish Kumar, works as a farmer, while his mom, Saroj Devi, takes care of their home. The family is mostly into farming. Neeraj has two younger sisters, Sarita and Sangeeta. During his early years, Neeraj struggled with being overweight, so his father got him enrolled in a gym to help him out.

During his time at Shivaji Stadium, he found motivation from fellow athletes who were javelin throwing, which inspired him to pursue this significant sport. Neeraj received strong backing from his family, which played a vital role in shaping him into an exceptional athlete. With his family’s unwavering support, Neeraj brought honor to his nation through his remarkable accomplishments.

Neeraj Chopra Career

• When Neeraj was just 11 years old, he weighed 80 kg. His introduction to javelin happened unexpectedly while he was visiting Panipat Stadium in an effort to lose weight.
• Noticing that Neeraj could throw the javelin around 40 meters even without training, his determination impressed Choudhary, who became his first coach. After a year of training under Choudhary, the 13-year-old Neeraj joined the Tau Devi Lal Sports Complex in Panchkula, which was a four-hour journey from his home.
• At that time, there were only two facilities in Haryana state equipped with a synthetic runway, and the sports complex was one of them. Here, Neeraj received guidance from coach Naseem Ahmad, who had him practice both long-distance running and javelin throw.
• During his time at Tau Devi Complex, Neeraj typically managed throws of around 55 meters as he began honing his skills.

• He soon increased his range and won the 2012 junior nationals in Lucknow by achieving a new national record throw of 68.40 meters.
• The next year, he entered his first international competition, the World Youth Championships in Ukraine.
• He achieved his first throw of over 70 meters at the 2014 senior nationals, following this up with a world record throw in the junior category of 81.04 meters in 2015 All India Inter-University Athletics Meet; this was his first throw of over 80 meters.
• Chopra won a gold medal in the 2016 IAAF World U20 Championships in Bydgoszcz, Poland and set a world junior record of 86.48 m.

• He however failed to qualify for the 2016 Summer Olympics as the cut-off date had been 11 July, the week before the U20 championships.
• Impressed with Chopra’s performance at the South Asian Games and his future potential, the Indian Army offered him a direct appointment as a Junior Commissioned Officer in the Rajputana Rifles with the rank of Naib Subedar, a rank typically not immediately granted to athletes, who are usually recruited as non-commissioned officers (NCO).

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Neeraj Chopra Medal 

Gold

• 2016- South Asian Games in Guwahati, India
• 2016 – World U20 Championships in Bydgoszcz, Poland
• 2017 – Asian Championships in Bhubaneswar, India
• 2018 – Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia
• 2018 – Sotteville Athletics Meet in Sotteville-lés-Rouen, France
• 2018 – Savo Games in Lapinlahti, Finland
• 2018 – Asian Games in Jakarta and Palembang, Indonesia
• 2021 – Tokyo Olympics 2020

Silver

• 2016 – Asian Junior Championships in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
• 2017 – Asian Grand Prix Series in Jinhua, China
• 2017 – Asian Grand Prix Series in Jiaxing, China
• 2018 – Offenburg Speenvurf Meeting in Offenburg, Germany

Bronze

• 2017 – Asian Grand Prix Series in Taipei, Taiwan

Neeraj Chopra Records

• 2018 – National Record of 88.06m mark at the Asian Games
• 2021 – National record of 88.07m mark at the Indian Grand Prix

Neeraj Chopra Awards

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

Neeraj Chopra wins gold medal in Men’s Javelin at the World Athletics Championship 2023

Neeraj Chopra achieved a historic milestone for India by securing the nation’s first-ever gold medal in Men’s Javelin at the 2023 World Athletics Championship held in Budapest. Prime Minister Narendra Modi showered praise on Neeraj Chopra’s remarkable performance. In a tweet, he said, “The incredibly talented @Neeraj_chopra1 showcases true excellence. His unwavering commitment, precision, and enthusiasm not only establish him as an athletic champion but also as an emblem of unparalleled greatness in the world of sports.

Congratulations to him for clinching the Gold at the World Athletics Championships.” Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur extended his congratulations to Neeraj Chopra for his triumphant victory at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest. Anurag Thakur tweeted, “The shining star of Indian athletics secures the gold in men’s javelin throw at the World Athletics Championships. The entire nation takes pride in your accomplishments, and this moment will forever be etched in the annals of Indian sporting history.”