Neeraj Chopra, born on December 24, 1997, in Khandra, Haryana, India, is a prominent Indian javelin thrower. He gained international fame by winning the gold medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, becoming the first Indian to win an Olympic gold in athletics. Chopra’s athletic prowess emerged early, and he quickly became a dominant figure in javelin throw. He also won gold at the 2018 Commonwealth Games and the Asian Games. His dedication and exceptional performance have made him a national hero and a significant figure in Indian sports, inspiring many young athletes across the country.
Teased about childhood obesity, Chopra’s father enrolled him in a gymnasium at Madlauda, later in Panipat. While playing at Shivaji Stadium in Panipat, he saw javelin throwers and began participating himself.
Career Turning Point
At the National Junior Athletics Championships in Lucknow on 27 October 2012, he won gold with a new national record throw of 68.40 meters.
Awards, Honours, Achievements
2017: Hindustan Times Top 30 under 30 awarded by Captain Amarinder Singh2018: Arjuna Award2020: Vishisht Seva Medal (VSM)2021: Sportstar ACES Award – Sportsman of the Decade (Track and Field)
Gold Medals
2016: South Asian Games in Guwahati, India2016: World U20 Championships in Bydgoszcz, Poland2017: Asian Championships in Bhubaneswar, India2018: Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia2018: Sotteville Athletics Meet in Sotteville-lès-Rouen, France2018: Savo Games in Lapinlahti, Finland2018: Asian Games in Jakarta and Palembang, Indonesia2021: Tokyo Olympics 2020
Silver Medals
2016: Asian Junior Championships in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam2017: Asian Grand Prix Series in Jinhua, China2017: Asian Grand Prix Series in Jiaxing, China2018: Offenburg Speerwurf Meeting in Offenburg, Germany
Bronze Medals
2017: Asian Grand Prix Series in Taipei, Taiwan
Neeraj Chopra Career Statistics
Year
Competition
Venue
Position
Event
Notes
2013
World Youth Championships
Donetsk, Ukraine
19th (q)
Javelin throw (700 g)
66.75m
2015
Asian Championships
Wuhan, China
9th
Javelin throw
70.50m
2016
South Asian Games, Asian Junior Championships, World U20 Championships
Guwahati, India; Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam; Bydgoszcz, Poland
1st place (gold), 2nd place (silver), 1st place (gold, WJR)
Javelin throw
82.23m, 77.60m, 86.48m
2017
Asian Grand Prix Series, Asian Championships, IAAF Diamond League, World Championships
Jinhua, China; Jiaxing, China; Taipei, Taiwan
2nd place (silver)
Javelin throw
82.11m
2018
Offenburg Speerwurf Meeting, Commonwealth Games, IAAF Diamond League, Sotteville Athletics Meet, Savo Games, Asian Games
Offenburg, Germany
2nd place (silver)
Javelin throw
82.80m
2020
Athletics Central North West League Meeting (qualifying event for Summer Olympics)
