Neeraj Chopra: The spear superman of Indian athletics

Neeraj Chopra could never have foreseen that his journey would transform him into one of India's most revered sporting icons. From a once-overweight child to a shining star, the captivating saga was made all the more extraordinary by the fact that this 25-year-old has carved an unconventional path in India by mastering the art of spear hurling.

Chopra exhibited an early penchant for sports, engaging in cricket, kabaddi, and volleyball. Local javelin thrower Jaiveer Singh encouraged him to explore athletics. Despite waning enthusiasm initially, Chopra embraced the challenge and through dedicated practice, Chopra's unwavering efforts began to bear fruit, evident in his impressive performances across numerous significant domestic tournaments.

A star was born overnight in a nation that had for long yearned for ultimate success in the sport's grandest stage, when Chopra, at 23, became India's first Olympics track and field gold medalist. He gave an exhibition of his immense talent by becoming only the second Indian to win an individual gold medal in the Olympics after legendary shooter Abhinav Bindra.

With his gold medal on Sunday at the Budapest World Athletics Championships, the legend of Chopra promises to grow even further. He, thus, became the only second Indian, after Bindra, to hold the Olympics and World Championships title at the same time. For the unversed, Bindra won the World Championships title at 23, and clinched the top honours at the Olympics two years later.

The significance of consistency in ensuring longevity and Neeraj Chopra has embraced this principle wholeheartedly. From the moment his javelin soared gracefully into the Tokyo sky, he has exemplified an unwavering constancy. Over the past two years, he has maintained an impressive record, consistently achieving throws surpassing 86 meters in every tournament he has participated in.

It's intriguing to note that Chopra's form remains top-notch despite being out of competitive action for most of last year. In fact, 86.69m would be the least distance he has cleared since Tokyo 2020 while winning the Kuortane Games title in Finland last year. His personal best (PB) of 89.94m, however, was not enough for him to overtake Anderson Peters of Grenada at the Stockholm Diamond League, also in June last year.

Also Read: World Athletics Championships 2023: Chopra, the one to beat

Chopra's first significant taste of triumph came at the National Junior Championships in 2012, where he won the U-16 event with a national age-group record of 68.46m. A year later, a brilliant second-place finish at the National Youth Championships earned him a berth for the IAAF World Youth Championships in Donetsk. Failing to battle with the advanced techniques used by his competitors in the event, Chopra, then 15, finished 19th in the qualifying round.

But every failure brings upon a chance to grow, to learn, and in the end to succeed. And none knows it better than Chopra. Exactly three years later, a World Junior Championships win in 2016 heralded his rise on the world stage. He caused a sensation with a throw of 86.48m, thereby, scripting a new world junior record. He also became the first-ever Indian athlete to become the Junior World Champion.

Chopra did not look back ever since as he clinched two more gold medals at both the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games in 2018. Following a successful 2018 season, his elbow injury kept him out of action for a considerable amount of time. His troubles worsened as the injury soon aggravated and eventually required surgery. As a consequence, Chopra missed both the IAAF World Athletics Championships and the National Open Athletics Championships in 2019.

However, in 2021, Chopra came back stronger than ever. He threw above the 83m four times in the five events he participated in that year. He bettered his personal best with a throw of 88.07m in March at the Indian Grand Prix. Carrying the same momentum into Tokyo 2020, a throw of 86.65m in his first and only attempt ensured direct qualification into the finals. Hours later, he handed India its first-ever Olympic track and field medal and the realisation of a long-standing dream.

Athletics Federation of India president Adille Sumariwalla recently remarked that Chopra's Tokyo Olympics gold has made parents think that there is a career beyond cricket in India, as reported by PTI. He was certainly not off the mark as Sunday's final saw three Indians, including Chopra, finishing in the top eight with Kishore Jena (84.77m) and DP Manu (84.14m) placed fifth and sixth respectively. Never before have three Indians finished in the top eight of an athletic event at the World Championships.

With Chopra going from strength to strength, another yellow metal in a throwing event could soon be on its way.