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Tokyo Olympics: Neeraj Chopra scripts history, wins gold in Javelin

The 23-year-old son of a farmer, produced a second round throw of 87.58m in the Javelin finals to end India's 100-year wait for a track and field medal in the Olympics

By Shiva Krishna Gundra

Updated On - 7 August 2021, 10:56 PM

Tokyo Olympics: Neeraj Chopra scripts history, wins gold in Javelin

Hyderabad: “Take a bow, young man! You have fulfilled a nation’s dream. Thank you! Also, welcome to the club – a much needed addition! Extremely proud. I am so delighted for you” – This is how gold medalist shooter Abhinav Bindra welcomed the youngster Neeraj Chopra to the club of Olympic gold medalists.

Bindra won the first Indian individual gold medal from the 2008 Beijing Olympics. India has been waiting for over 100 years for a medal in athletics. Late Milka Singh’s dream to see an Indian win a medal in athletics has been realised on Saturday by 23-year-old javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra

The moment will be etched in history with golden letters. Twenty-three-year-old Neeraj Chopra threw the spear to a distance of 87.58 metres on his second attempt and raised his hands in celebration. Even before the reading came on the giant screen at the athletic stadium in Tokyo, he knew that he had won the big battle. The smooth run-up and the hurl was all perfect as the spear landed a good distance to take him to the top spot in the first two throws itself.

He was off to a flying start with a 87.03 metre throw on his first attempt itself which put him right on the top of the list. This medal was the seventh medal in the ongoing Games. India thus recorded their best ever show at Olympics, bettering the 2012 London Games show where they won six medals. The gold also propelled India from 66th position to 47th in medal tally. India ended the campaign with one gold, two silver and four bronze at Tokyo Olympics. It couldn’t have been sweeter for India.

Hailing from a farmer’s family, Chopra hails from Khandra village near Panipat in Haryana which erupted in joy. His tryst with javelin was a pure accident. In a bid to shed his overweight, he took up the sport following constant pressure from his family. Little did anyone realise that he would go on to create history for the country.

Chopra burst onto the international scene in 2016, when he won the World U-20 Championship in Bydogszcz, Poland with a throw of 86.48 meters, a world junior record. With Covid-19 taking a toll on competitions participating in tournaments was very limited. He had one big match practice at the Indian Grand Prix where he threw the spear to a distance of 88.78 metres, his best ever.

In the run-up to the Tokyo Games, Chopra shifted his training base to Uppsala in Sweden under biomechanics expert Klaus Bartoneitz. Realising his potential, the Sports Authority of India (SAI) invested in the youngster through the Target Olympic Podium scheme. He first trained in France and then moved to Uppasala in Sweden. Competing for the first time in Lisbon in Portugal in June, he won gold with 83.18 metres throw. He then competed in Diamond League tournaments to get into the competition mode.

Bajran Punia wins bronze

Earlier in the day, wrestler Bajrang Punia, who was out of the gold medal race on Friday with a semifinal loss against Hazi Aliev, clinched a bronze medal. He got the measure of Kazakhstan’s Daulet Niyazbekov 8-0 for the bronze. This is the second wrestling medal for the country at the Tokyo Games. Ravi Kumar Dahiya won a silver on Friday.