Neeraj Chopra, India’s star javelin thrower, has scripted history by becoming the first Indian to win a gold medal at the World Athletics Championships. Chopra achieved this feat with a sensational throw of 88.17 meters in the final of the men’s javelin event at Budapest on Sunday.
Chopra, who is also the reigning Olympic champion, World champion and the Diamond League champion in the javelin throw, dominated the field from the start and secured his place in the top spot with his first attempt. He improved his mark with his second throw and then unleashed his best effort in his fourth attempt, which was enough to seal the gold medal.
The 25-year-old Chopra, who hails from Khandra village in Panipat, Haryana, is the first Asian athlete to win an Olympic gold medal in his event and the first such Asian to win gold at the World Championship. He is also the first track and field athlete to set a world record at the junior level, when he threw 86.48 meters at the 2016 World Under-20 Championships.
Chopra, who is a Subedar in the Indian Army, has also won gold medals at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, the 2018 Asian Games and the 2017 Asian Championships. He is the Indian record holder for the javelin throw and has been ranked number one in the world since May 2023.
Chopra’s historic achievement has been hailed by sports lovers and celebrities across the country and the world. He has been congratulated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, President Ram Nath Kovind, Sports Minister Anurag Thakur and many other dignitaries. Chopra has dedicated his gold medal to the nation and thanked his coaches, family and fans for their support./please check spellings grammar and rewrite as a news item with this information
