Who is Neeraj Chopra?

Neeraj Chopra biography, Neeraj Chopra is an Indian track and field athlete. He is the reigning Olympic champion, World Championship silver medalist, and Diamond League champion in the javelin throw. He is India's most decorated athlete and the first Asian to win an Olympic gold medal in the Men's Javelin Throw.

Neeraj Chopra Education

The Neeraj Chopra biography is interesting one. He is the only track and field athlete from India to win an Olympic gold medal. In addition, he is the first Indian track and field athlete to win in the IAAF Global U20 Championships. In 2016, he set a world under-20 record with a throw of 86.48, making history as the first Indian athlete to do so.

He was born on 24th December 1997 in a family of villagers, near Panipat in Haryana.He did his schooling from BVN Public School and his graduation from Dayanand Anglo-Vedic College in Chandigarh.

Neeraj Chopra Family

His mother Saroj Devi works as a homemaker, while his father Satish Kumar is a farmer. The Indian army offered him a straight appointment as a Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO) in the Rajputana Rifles with the famous "Naib Subedar" rank as a result of his outstanding performance in the South Asian Game. In accordance with the sports quota, he accepted the offer and enlisted.

Neeraj Chopra Early Career

He won the first-ever international silver medal in the youth olympics qualification in 2014 in Bangkok, then in 2015, with a throw of 77.33 metres, he earned his first medal at a senior national championship in Chennai.

With a throw of 85.23 metres, Chopra captured the gold medal in the 2017 Asian Athletics Championships.

In 2018, he threw a personal best of 87.43 metres at the Diamond League in Doha and went on to win the gold medal at the Commonwealth Games with a season-best effort of 86.47 metres.

Neeraj Chopra Awards and Achievements  

Neeraj Chopra won India's first Olympic gold medal in track and field on August 7, 2021. In his second attempt, he produced his best throw of 87.58 metres, helping India win the gold medal at the Olympic Games in Tokyo. After Abhinav Bindra, who won the gold medal in the men's 10 m air rifle event at the 2008 Summer Olympics, he is now the second Indian to win a gold medal in a single event. On September 8, 2022, Neeraj Chopra won the 2022 Diamond League final in Zürich, with a throw of 88.44m. He became the first Indian to achieve this feat.

Neeraj Chopra has won many accolades and awards. In 2018, Neeraj Chopra was awarded with the Arjuna Award and Vishisht Seva Medal (VSM) in 2020 for his excellence in sports. Army Sports Institute (ASI) stadium of Pune cantonment was renamed "Neeraj Chopra Stadium'' by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on 27 August 2021.Shri Ram Nath Kovind, Honourable President of India also presented the ‘Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award’,in 2021 to Neeraj Chopra.

Neeraj Chopra Gold Medal Tally