Neeraj Chopra’s javelin gold medal seals India’s greatest ever Olympics
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Army officer Neeraj Chopra has achieved Indian sporting immortality after winning the country’s first ever athletics gold medal with victory in the men’s javelin in Tokyo.
Chopra’s historic triumph means India has racked up its best-ever Olympic medal haul of seven and caps a resurgence of national pride amid the ravages of the coronavirus pandemic that has killed more than 427,000 Indians.
When nothing else works, what does India do?
It calls out the Army…
As it did searching for its first ever track & field Olympic medal…
And you know what, Indian Army delivered a gold…
1.38 billion thank you Indian Army, and Subedar @Neeraj_chopra1 pic.twitter.com/rK8439WtBN — Shekhar Gupta (@ShekharGupta) August 7, 2021
India was already riding high on a strong performance by the men’s and women’s hockey teams after decades in the doldrums.
But Chopra’s victory in the javelin with a throw of 87.58m was something that none of his 1.38 billion compatriots have ever seen before.
“It feels unbelievable,” he said. “This is our first Olympic medal for a very long time, and in athletics it is the first time we have gold, so it’s a proud moment for me and my country.”
The actor Karthi tweeted that every household in India would be celebrating the success of Chopra and the whole national team.
Every house in India is celebrating the success at the #Olympics 2020. As we know the hurdles & barriers that a sportsperson in our country has to vault over, each winner is a leader who shines hope in the hearts of millions of our youngsters.
Hearty congratulations Team India! pic.twitter.com/NszcMbK6F9 — Actor Karthi (@Karthi_Offl) August 8, 2021
India’s only previous athletics medals came in 1900 – two silvers won by Norman Pritchard, son of a British colonial family, in the 200m and the 200m hurdles. And despite a record number of hockey team golds, the nation’s only previous individual gold was won by shooter Abhinav Bindra in 2012.
The prime minister, Narendra Modi, led a flurry of congratulations for Chopra from the great and the good.
After speaking to the gold-medal winner by telephone, Modi tweeted that Chopra “personifies the best of sporting talent and sportsman spirit”.
He added: “History has been scripted at Tokyo! What Neeraj Chopra has achieved today will be remembered forever. The young Neeraj has done exceptionally well. He played with remarkable passion and showed unparalleled grit. Congratulations to him for winning the gold.”
Just spoke to @Neeraj_chopra1 and congratulated him on winning the Gold! Appreciated his hardwork and tenacity, which have been on full display during #Tokyo2020. He personifies the best of sporting talent and sportsman spirit. Best wishes for his future endeavours. — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 7, 2021
Cricket is the all-consuming sport in India, and all of its powerbrokers were watching.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India announced a cash reward for the Olympic medal winners. Military leaders chimed in, too.
Chopra, a junior officer in the Indian army with the Rajputana Rifles, made his first mark on international athletics with a world junior title in 2016. Two years later, he became the first Indian athlete to win the javelin at the Asian Games and at the Commonwealth Games.
There were also congratulations for wrestler Bajrang Punia, who won a bronze medal in the men’s freestyle wrestling 65kg final on Saturday.
It follows a bronze medal for the men’s hockey team after they defeated Germany in the third-place playoff on Thursday. It was India’s first hockey medal since 1980 and was complemented by the women’s team, who went down fighting in the bronze medal match against Great Britain.
India won its first gold in track and field.
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In 2018, Chopra won gold at the Asian Games and the Commonwealth Games, but an elbow injury that required surgery caused him to miss nearly a year of competition. Then came the coronavirus pandemic, which disrupted his comeback.
“Take a bow, young man! You have fulfilled a nation’s dream. Thank you!” Bindra wrote on Twitter. “Also, welcome to the club — a much needed addition!”
India, the world’s second-most-populous country, has been trying to improve its underwhelming Olympic game, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been keen to use sports to raise its global profile.
Modi has been tweeting congratulations to several Indian athletes during the Games, including Chopra. “History has been scripted at Tokyo!” Modi wrote. “The young Neeraj has done exceptionally well. He played with remarkable passion and showed unparalleled grit.”
After India’s substandard performance at the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro — one silver and one bronze — the government began funneling money to a sports bureaucracy that was underfunded for decades and stained by corruption. Private ventures stepped in, training elite athletes whose upward trajectory they might be able to harness. And state money has started to trickle to grass-roots sports, too.
Chopra wins India’s 1st gold in Olympic track and field
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Neeraj Chopra, of India, celebrates after winning the gold medal in the men’s javelin throw final at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Saturday, Aug. 7, 2021, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)
Neeraj Chopra, of India, celebrates after winning the gold medal in the men’s javelin throw final at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Saturday, Aug. 7, 2021, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)
TOKYO (AP) — Neeraj Chopra held a corner of the India flag in each hand and raised it over his head.
A half-hour later, the tri-color was flying at the top of the mast at Tokyo’s Olympic Stadium and Chopra was standing atop the medal podium, feeling on top of the world.
A first gold medal in Olympic track and field for a nation of 1.3 billion, its first in any sports since a shooting title in 2008, had to be cause for celebration.
Chopra won the javelin title at the Tokyo Games with a personal-best throw of 87.58 meters on Saturday night, securing the title with a throw to spare.
“It feels unbelievable,” he said. “This is our first Olympic medal for a very long time, and in athletics it is the first time we have gold, so it’s a proud moment for me and my country.”
India’s only previous medals in Olympic track and field were two silvers won by Norman Pritchard in the 200 meters and the 200-meter hurdles at Paris in 1900.
Historians have debated whether the results for Pritchard should be recorded for India or Britain. He was born in India to a British colonial family, moved to London before qualifying for the Paris Olympics and later moved to the U.S. and embarked on an acting career.
There’s no disputing this one.
Chopra, a junior officer in the Indian army with the Rajputana Rifles, made his first mark on international athletics with a world junior title in 2016. Two years later, he became the first Indian athlete to win the javelin at the Asian Games and at the Commonwealth Games.
He set a new benchmark in Tokyo, holding off Jakub Vadlejch (86.67) and Vitezslav Vesely (85.44), both of the Czech Republic.
India has won eight Olympic gold medals in field hockey, more than any other nation, and the return of the men’s team to the medal podium at the Tokyo Games — a bronze — after a 41-year drought prompted widespread celebrations.
A first gold medal in track and field is set to make Chopra a star in India.
It didn’t take long before the rewards started flowing in and he was on the phone with India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Cricket is the all-consuming sport in India, and all of its powerbrokers were watching.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India quickly announced a cash reward for the Olympic medal winners . Military leaders chimed in, too.
Chopra was ranked fourth heading into the Olympics and had some issues with his technique in the hot and steamy conditions.
“But in my second throw I feel it’s my PB,” he said. “Finally I’m an Olympic champion.”
He knew there’d be plenty of sports fans watching on TV at home, flicking between India’s cricket test match in England and the Olympics.
“So proud moment for India and for me because they’re supporting me a lot,” said Chopra, the son of a farming family. “Today they’re all in front of the TV and they’re supporting me — so thank you India.”
Former world champion Johannes Vetter of Germany was favored to win, but placed ninth after the first three attempts and was out of contention early. He had praise for Chopra.
“He’s a really talented guy, always really friendly,” Vetter said. “I’m happy for him.”
Chopra said he’d given everything he had in the competition.
“I hope after me India can win more medals in athletics,” he said. “I don’t have anything left — I gave my 100% on the field.”
More AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2020-tokyo-olympics and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports