Olympic champion Chopra nominated for Laureus World Breakthrough of Year award

Neeraj Chopra

India's Olympic gold medal-winning javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra was on Wednesday nominated for the prestigious Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year award, making him the first Indian to be featured in the short-list for this category. He was clubbed alongside tennis stars Daniil Medvedev and Emma Raducanu among others.

Chopra, 23, last year became only the second Indian to win an individual Olympic gold medal and first in track and field in Tokyo with a throw of 87.58 metres in his second attempt. The performance catapulted him to superstar status in India and also brought him worldwide acclaim.

"...it's a great honour for me to be recognised in the wider sporting world for what I achieved in Tokyo. From being a kid in a small village in rural India who only took up sport to get fit, to standing on top of an Olympic podium, it's been quite an eventful journey so far," Chopra said in a statement issued by The Laureus Academy.

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