Who is Neeraj Chopra? – The Tokyo Olympic 2020 gold medal winner Neeraj Chopra becomes the first person to bag the gold for India nearly after a decade.
Eventually, Neeraj Chopra becomes the first player for India to bag the gold in Javelin throw which is a Track and field category in Olympics.
Neeraj Chopra Biography
| Name | Neeraj Chopra |
| Place of Birth | Khandra – Panipat, Haryana |
| Date of Birth | 24-Dec-1997 |
| Family | Mother’s Name- Saroj Devi |
| Father’s Name – Satish Kumar | |
| Sister – Sangeeta and Sarita | |
| Spouse | Unmarried |
| Education | Dayanand Anglo-Vedic College in Chandigarh |
| Bachelor of Arts from Lovely Professional University in Jalandhar, Punjab | |
| Height | 178 CM / 6 ft |
| Weight | 86 KG |
| Game | Javelin Throw |
| Best Throw record | 88.1 Meters |
| Job | Junior Commissioned Officer in the Rajputana Rifles of the Indian Army |
| Coach | Gary Calvert |
| Naseem Ahmad | |
| Klaus Baflonietz | |
| Werner Daniels | |
| Uwe Hohn (personal coach) | |
| Raj Kumar(Army Coach) |
Neeraj Chopra Family
- Neeraj’s father Satish Kumar is a farmer in a tiny village of Khandra in Panipat, Haryana.
- His mother, Saroj Devi, is a housewife and he has two sisters.
- Neeraj developed an interest in Javelin at the tender age of 11 after keeping an eye on Jaiveer (Jai Choudhary) who used to practice at the Panipat Stadium. Jaiveer is a javelin athlete who represented Haryana.
- After training under Choudhary for a year, the 13-year-old Chopra was admitted to the Tau Devi Lal Sports Complex in Panchkula, four hours from his home.
- In 2014, Neeraj bought his first Javelin worth Rs 7000. Later at the international level, he purchased a javelin worth Rs 1 lakh in the national camp he attended.
Neeraj Chopra Career
- Neeraj weighs 80 kg when he was only 11, Neeraj’s introduction to javelin happened by chance during his visits to the Panipat Stadium in his bid to lose weight.
- Observing Chopra’s ability to achieve a 40-meter throw without training and impressed by his drive, Choudhary became his first coach.
- After training under Choudhary for a year, the 13-year-old Chopra was admitted to the Tau Devi Lal Sports Complex in Panchkula, four hours from his home.
- The sports complex was then one of only two facilities in the state of Haryana with a synthetic runway.
- There, he trained under coach Naseem Ahmad, who made him train in long-distance running along with the javelin throw.
- Initially while at Tau Devi, he typically achieved throws of around 55 meters.
- He soon increased his range and won the 2012 junior nationals in Lucknow by achieving a new national record throw of 68.40 meters.
- The next year, he entered his first international competition, the World Youth Championships in Ukraine.
- He achieved his first throw of over 70 meters at the 2014 senior nationals, following this up with a world record throw in the junior category of 81.04 meters in the 2015 All India Inter-University Athletics Meet; this was his first throw of over 80 meters.
- Chopra won a gold medal in the 2016 IAAF World U20 Championships in Bydgoszcz, Poland and set a world junior record of 86.48 m.
- He however failed to qualify for the 2016 Summer Olympics as the cut-off date had been 11 July, the week before the U20 championships.
- Impressed with Chopra’s performance at the South Asian Games and his future potential, the Indian Army offered him a direct appointment as a Junior Commissioned Officer in the Rajputana Rifles with the rank of Naib Subedar, a rank typically not immediately granted to athletes, who are usually recruited as non-commissioned officers (NCO).
Neeraj Chopra Medal
Gold
- 2016- South Asian Games in Guwahati, India
- 2016 – World U20 Championships in Bydgoszcz, Poland
- 2017 – Asian Championships in Bhubaneswar, India
- 2018 – Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia
- 2018 – Sotteville Athletics Meet in Sotteville-lés-Rouen, France
- 2018 – Savo Games in Lapinlahti, Finland
- 2018 – Asian Games in Jakarta and Palembang, Indonesia
- 2021 – Tokyo Olympics 2020
Also read: Olympics Medal Table 2020 / 2021 | Ranking By Country
Silver
- 2016 – Asian Junior Championships in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
- 2017 – Asian Grand Prix Series in Jinhua, China
- 2017 – Asian Grand Prix Series in Jiaxing, China
- 2018 – Offenburg Speenvurf Meeting in Offenburg, Germany
Bronze
- 2017 – Asian Grand Prix Series in Taipei, Taiwan
Neeraj Chopra Records
- 2018 – National Record of 88.06m mark at the Asian Games
- 2021 – National record of 88.07m mark at the Indian Grand Prix
Neeraj Chopra Awards
- Arjuna Award – 2018
- Vishisht Seva Medal (VSM) – 2020 Republic Day honours
Prize Amount for Neeraj Chopra on Winning Gold Medal
Neeraj Chopra starts to receive wishes and prizes from various organizations after winning the gold for India in the Tokyo Olympics 2020. Following are the list of cash prize amounts received by Neeraj Chopra:
- ₹75 lakhs (US$110,000) from the Government of India.
- ₹6 crores (US$840,000) from the Government of Haryana, a Class-I state government appointment, and a plot of land for an athletics centre.
- ₹2 crores (US$280,000) from BYJU’S
- ₹2 crores (US$280,000) from the Government of Punjab
- ₹1 crore (US$140,000) from the Government of Manipur
- ₹1 crore (US$140,000) from the Board of Control for Cricket in India
- ₹1 crore (US$140,000) from Chennai Super Kings and a personalized jersey
- ₹25 lakhs (US$35,000) from the Elan realty group, Gurugram
- ₹75 lakhs (US$110,000) from the Indian Olympic Association
Neeraj Chopra Personal Top 10
| Date | Competition | Country | Category | Type Nr. | Place | Result |
| 27 Aug 2018 | Jakarta Asian Games, Jakarta | INA | A | F | 1 | 88.06 |
| 05 Mar 2021 | Indian Grand Prix 3, Patiala | IND | E | F | 1 | 88.07 |
| 28 Jan 2020 | ACNW League Meeting 1, McArthur Stadium, Potchefstroom | RSA | F | F | 1 | 87.86 |
| 17 Mar 2021 | Federation Cup, Patiala | IND | E | F | 1 | 87.8 |
| 07 Aug 2021 | The XXXII Olympic Games (Athletics), Olympic Stadium, Tokyo | JPN | OW | F1 | 1 | 87.58 |
| 04 May 2018 | Doha IAAF Diamond League, Suhaim bin Hamad Stadium, Doha | QAT | GW | F | 4 | 87.43 |
| 26 Jun 2021 | Kuortane Games, Kuortaneen keskusurheilukenttä, Kuortane | FIN | C | F | 3 | 86.79 |
| 04 Aug 2021 | The XXXII Olympic Games (Athletics), Olympic Stadium, Tokyo | JPN | OW | Q1 | 1 | 86.65 |
| 23 Jul 2016 | Bydgoszcz IAAF World U20 Championships, Zdzislaw Krzyszkowiak Stadium, Bydgoszcz | POL | C | F | 1 | 86.48 |
| 14 Apr 2018 | Gold Coast Commonwealth Games, Gold Coast | AUS | A | F | 1 | 86.47 |
Neeraj Chopra matches – Javelin Throw
| Date | Competition | Cnt. | Cat | Race | Place | Result |
| 28 Oct 2012 | Lucknow National Junior Ch., Lucknow – U16 Events | IND | F | F | 1 | 68.46 |
| 26 Jul 2013 | Thiruvanathapuram Youth Ch., Thiruvanthapuram | IND | F | F | 1 | 69.66 |
| 16 Aug 2014 | Patiala Federation Cup, Patiala | IND | F | Q1 | 7 | 69.51 |
| 17 Aug 2014 | Patiala Federation Cup, Patiala | IND | F | F | 8 | 70.19 |
| 11 Feb 2015 | Thiruvanthapuram National Games, Thiruvanthapuram | IND | F | Q1 | 6 | 66.78 |
| 12 Feb 2015 | Thiruvanthapuram National Games, Thiruvanthapuram | IND | F | F | 5 | 73.45 |
| 06 Jun 2015 | Wuhan Asian Championships, Wuhan | CHN | A | F | 9 | 70.5 |
| 11 Jul 2015 | Chennai Inter State Ch., Chennai | IND | F | F | 1 | 77.33 |
| 07 Aug 2015 | Hyderabad Fed Cup Jun. Ch, Hyderabad | IND | F | F | 1 | 76.91 |
| 16 Sep 2015 | Kolkata Indian Ch., Kolkata | IND | B | Q1 | 1 | 74.69 |
| 17 Sep 2015 | Kolkata Indian Ch., Kolkata | IND | B | F | 1 | 77.67 |
| 31 Dec 2015 | Patiala Indian University Ch., Patiala | IND | F | Q1 | 1 | 81.04 |
| 01 Jan 2016 | Patiala Indian University Ch., Patiala | IND | F | F | 1 | 79.95 |
| 10 Feb 2016 | Guwahati South Asian Games, Guwahati | IND | D | F | 1 | 82.23 |
| 24 Apr 2016 | Indian Grand Prix 1, New Delhi | IND | F | F | 1 | 79.54 |
| 16 May 2016 | Rehlingen Pfingstsportfest, Rehlingen | GER | E | F | 5 | 79.51 |
| 21 May 2016 | Warszawa | POL | F | F | 2 | 79.73 |
| 29 May 2016 | Oordegem IFAM Meeting, Oordegem | BEL | E | F | 2 | 75.52 |
| 06 Jun 2016 | Ho Chi-Minh Asian Junior Championships, Ho Chi-Minh | VIE | D | F | 2 | 77.6 |
| 03 Jul 2016 | Lokeren Grote Prijs, Lokeren | BEL | E | F | 1 | 78.71 |
| 10 Jul 2016 | Offenburg Speerwurf-Meeting, Offenburg | GER | F | F | 3 | 79.23 |
| 22 Jul 2016 | Bydgoszcz IAAF World U20 Championships, Zdzislaw Krzyszkowiak Stadium, Bydgoszcz | POL | C | Q1 | 1 | 78.2 |
| 23 Jul 2016 | Bydgoszcz IAAF World U20 Championships, Zdzislaw Krzyszkowiak Stadium, Bydgoszcz | POL | C | F | 1 | 86.48 |
| 24 Apr 2017 | Jinhua Asian Grand Prix, Jinhua | CHN | B | F | 2 | 82.11 |
| 27 Apr 2017 | Jiaxing Asian Grand Prix, Jiaxing | CHN | B | F | 2 | 83.32 |
| 30 Apr 2017 | Taipei City Asian Grand Prix, Taipei City | TPE | B | F | 3 | 79.9 |
| 11 May 2017 | Indian Grand Prix 2, New Delhi | IND | F | F | 1 | 80.49 |
| 02 Jun 2017 | Patiala Federation Cup, Patiala | IND | F | Q1 | 1 | 78.6 |
| 02 Jun 2017 | Patiala Federation Cup, Patiala | IND | F | F | 1 | 85.63 |
| 01 Jul 2017 | Meeting de Paris, Stade Charléty, Paris – Diamond Discipline | FRA | GW | F | 5 | 84.67 |
| 09 Jul 2017 | Bhubaneshwar Asian Championships, Bhubaneshwar | IND | GL | F | 1 | 85.23 |
| 21 Jul 2017 | Monaco Herculis, Stade Louis II, Monaco – Diamond Discipline | MON | GW | F | 7 | 78.92 |
| 10 Aug 2017 | London IAAF World Championships in Athletics, Olympic Stadium, London | GBR | OW | Q1 | 7 | 82.26 |
| 24 Aug 2017 | Zürich Weltklasse, Letzigrund, Zürich – Diamond Discipline | SUI | DF | F | 7 | 83.8 |
| 03 Feb 2018 | Offenburg Speerwurfmeeting, Offenburg – U23 Events | GER | F | F | 1 | 82.8 |
| 27 Feb 2018 | Indian Grand Prix 1, Patiala | IND | F | F | 1 | 82.88 |
| 05 Mar 2018 | Patiala Federation Cup, Patiala | IND | F | Q1 | 1 | 79.29 |
| 06 Mar 2018 | Patiala Federation Cup, Patiala | IND | F | F | 1 | 85.94 |
| 13 Apr 2018 | Gold Coast Commonwealth Games, Gold Coast | AUS | A | Q1 | 2 | 80.42 |
| 14 Apr 2018 | Gold Coast Commonwealth Games, Gold Coast | AUS | A | F | 1 | 86.47 |
| 04 May 2018 | Doha IAAF Diamond League, Suhaim bin Hamad Stadium, Doha – Diamond Discipline | QAT | GW | F | 4 | 87.43 |
| 25 May 2018 | Eugene Prefontaine Classic, Hayward Field, Eugene, OR – Diamond Discipline | USA | GW | F | 6 | 80.81 |
| 13 Jul 2018 | Meeting International Mohammed VI d’Athletisme de Rabat, Complexe Sportif Prince Moulay Abdellah, Rabat – Diamond Discipline | MAR | GW | F | 5 | 83.32 |
| 17 Jul 2018 | Sotteville-lès-Rouen Meeting International, Sotteville-lès-Rouen | FRA | C | F | 1 | 85.17 |
| 28 Jul 2018 | Lapinlahti Motonet GP, Lapinlahti | FIN | F | F | 1 | 85.69 |
| 27 Aug 2018 | Jakarta Asian Games, Jakarta | INA | A | F | 1 | 88.06 |
| 30 Aug 2018 | Zürich Weltklasse, Letzigrund, Zürich – Diamond Discipline | SUI | DF | F | 4 | 85.73 |
| 09 Sep 2018 | Ostrava IAAF Continental Cup, Ostrava | CZE | GW | F1 | 6 | 80.24 |
| 19 Sep 2018 | Jalahalli All-India Inter-Services Ch., Jalahalli | IND | F | F | 1 | 83.9 |
| 28 Jan 2020 | ACNW League Meeting 1, McArthur Stadium, Potchefstroom | RSA | F | F | 1 | 87.86 |
| 05 Mar 2021 | Indian Grand Prix 3, Patiala | IND | E | F | 1 | 88.07 |
| 17 Mar 2021 | Federation Cup, Patiala | IND | E | F | 1 | 87.8 |
| 10 Jun 2021 | Meeting Cidade de Lisboa, Estadio Universitario, Lisboa | POR | E | F | 1 | 83.18 |
| 22 Jun 2021 | Karlstad GP, Tingvalla IP, Karlstad | SWE | C | F | 1 | 80.96 |
| 26 Jun 2021 | Kuortane Games, Kuortaneen keskusurheilukenttä, Kuortane | FIN | C | F | 3 | 86.79 |
| 04 Aug 2021 | The XXXII Olympic Games (Athletics), Olympic Stadium, Tokyo | JPN | OW | Q1 | 1 | 86.65 |
| 07 Aug 2021 | The XXXII Olympic Games (Athletics), Olympic Stadium, Tokyo | JPN | OW | F1 | 1 | 87.58 |
Neeraj Chopra matches – Javelin Throw (700g)
| Date | Competition | Cnt. | Cat | Race | Pl. | Result | Score |
| 12 Jul 2013 | Donetsk IAAF World Youth Championships, Donetsk | UKR | D | Q2 | 9 | 66.75 | 0 |
| 22 Apr 2014 | Bambolim Indian U18 Ch., Bambolim | IND | F | F | 1 | 67 | 0 |
| 21 May 2014 | Bangkok Youth Olympic Games Qualification, Bangkok | THA | F | F | 2 | 70.54 | 0 |
| 18 Oct 2014 | Lucknow North Zone Junior Ch., Lucknow – U18 Events | IND | F | F | 1 | 74.76 | 0 |
| 30 Nov 2014 | Vijayawada Indian U18 Ch., Vijayawada | IND | F | F | 1 | 76.5 | 0 |
