Neeraj Chopra Biography, Profile, Age, Country, Height, Salary, Wiki, and more

Neeraj Chopra, hailing from India, is an accomplished international track and field athlete who has achieved remarkable success at a young age. His notable feat includes winning the first Gold medal for India in the Javelin Throw event at the Tokyo Olympics 2020. Following his triumphant Olympic performance, Neeraj currently holds the second position in the International Rankings by World Athletics.

In addition to his sporting endeavours, Neeraj also serves as a Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO) in the Indian Army. His outstanding achievements include setting multiple world records, notably in 2016 when he became the first Indian athlete to establish a world record by throwing a Javelin 86.48 m far at the world under-20 javelin throw event.

Neeraj Chopra Personal Information

Neeraj Chopra Personal life

Neeraj entered the world on 24 December 1997 in Chandra village, Haryana. He is the lone son in his family, accompanied by two sisters. His father earns a living as a proficient farmer, while his mother tends to household duties.
After finishing his basic education in his hometown, Neeraj relocated to Chandigarh to pursue his undergraduate studies, obtaining his degree from Dayanand Anglo-Vedic College. In 2021, Neeraj gained admission to Lovely Professional University in Punjab to work towards his Bachelor of Arts degree.

Neeraj Chopra Athletic Career

Neeraj, just like other accomplished individuals, found motivation in his area of vulnerability, as he faced teasing from his friends for his childhood obesity. As a result, his father enrolled him in a gym and he later joined a gym in Shivaji Stadium in Panipat, where he was introduced to javelin throwers for the first time, sparking his curiosity.

Afterward, he began receiving coaching. In 2010, he pursued his passion for Javelin Throw by participating in the selection trials for admission to the Sports Authority of India center. Fortunately, he was noticed by renowned javelin thrower Jaiveer Choudhary, who opted to coach Neeraj. Subsequently, he enrolled in Jalandhar to train alongside other experienced javelin throwers.

Neeraj achieved his debut medal in a district championship and requested his father’s permission to reside in Panipat for additional practice.

Beginning of International career

In 2013, Neeraj participated in his inaugural international athletics competition held in Ukraine at the World Youth Championships. He did not secure any medals but gained valuable insights and experiences that he applied in 2014 at the Youth Olympics Qualification, clinching the silver medal with a 70-meter throw. Subsequently, from 2014 to 2021, Neeraj achieved success by earning medals in various national and international competitions.

Some of his most his recognized achievements during this time are as follows-

• 2017 Asian Athletics Championships- Gold
• 2018 Commonwealth Games- Gold and became the first Indian player to win in Common wealth Games.
• Asian Games 2018- Gold

Journey to Olympic Gold

Neeraj encountered numerous obstacles on his path to Olympic gold, making his journey far from straightforward. One major challenge, shared by many athletes, was the lack of access to outdoor training facilities and permission due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite these difficulties, Neeraj remained steadfast in his pursuit of claiming an Olympic Gold Medal.

Under the guidance of his coach Hohn from Germany, who holds a world record for javelin throw at a distance of 104.80 m, he resumed his training. Hohn constantly motivated Neeraj and focused on refining his javelin-throwing techniques.

Neeraj Chopra Achievements:

• Neeraj become an under 16 national champion in 2012 by winning Junior Nationals Lucknow by achieving the new record of 68.40 metres throw.
• Neeraj entered in International competition by participating in World Youth Championships held at Ukraine in 2013. He won his first international medal in 2014 Youth Olympics at Bangkok. Soon he achieved the record of 70 metres at senior nationals in 2014, following this he made the world record of 8o metres in junior category og 81.06 metres in 2015.
• After few months, he won gold in National Open Championship in Kolakata.
• In 2016, there was a breakthrough for Neeraj Chopra in South Asian Games in Guwahati, as he was winning gold with throw of 82,23 metres, though falling short for 83 metre Olympic qualifying mark. He further improved his skills under the guidance of Uwe Hohn , Gary Clvert, and Werner Daniels.
• Indian Army got impressed by his several national and international tournaments and decided to make him a Junior Commission Officer in 2017 and he got the direct appoint of Junior Commissioner Officerr in Rjputana Rifles at the ranking of ‘Naib Subedar’.
• After joining the Indian Army as a Naib Subedar, he got selected in ‘Mission Olympic Wing’ which is a initiative by the Inidan Army for the identification and training of sportsperson in 11 disciplines for various national and international competitions.
• Neeraj won gold in Common Wealth Games, 2018 with the throwing record of 86.47 metres and in the same year,he threw his personal best of 87.43 metres at the Diamond League at Doha.
• On August 2018, Neeraj won gold medal in Asian Games with the throw of 88.06 metres.
• In 2019, he got an elbow injury due to which the Javelin Throw was out of his action for eight months.
• In Tokyo Olmypics of 2021, Neeraj become India’s first track and field Olympic gold medallist by giving his best throw of 87.58 metres in his second attempt to win the gold medal for India in Tokyo Olympic Games. He was qualified for Tokyo Olympics with the throw of 87.86 metres at the ACNE league. He breached the Olympic qualification mark of 85 metres in his fourth attempt and secured the top place at the international event.
• Neeraj was the second one after Abhinav Bindra to win the gold for India in the individual event.

Neeraj Chopra Awards and Accolades

Neeraj Chopra has received numerous awards for his exceptional achievements in sports, including the Padma Shri Award, Param Vishisht Seva Medal, and the Vishisht Seva Medal from the Indian Army.

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