After cementing his place in the history books by winning the gold medal at the World Athletics Championships on Sunday, India’s ace javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra has dedicated his victory to his fans in India who had to sacrifice their sleep to watch his victorious match.
“I would like to thank every Indian, because they are staying up all night to support me. This medal is for them. I became an Olympic champion first, and now, I am a world champion. We [Indians] can do anything. Just keep working hard,” Chopra told journalists after his victory in Budapest.
Reflecting on his maiden World Championships triumph, he said, “Everyone said this is the only medal I was missing – it has been achieved now. I still need to hit the 90m mark. I thought I would be able to do it today, but winning the gold medal was the most important outcome. Many competitions are coming up and I have time on my side, so I will work harder for those competitions.”
Despite his gold-winning stint, Chopra himself acknowledged that he didn’t reach his peak performance. Notably, he crossed the 88m mark only in his second attempt, with his other throws measuring 86.32m, 84.64m, 87.73m, and 83.98m. He also had a foul throw in the opening round – becoming the only athlete not to register a throw.
In a candid admission, he said, “I had planned to have a good first throw but it did not happen, owing to some technical problems. I was too careful about my throws and did not go at my 100% speed. When I don’t go at full speed, I get the feeling that something is missing. I need to get myself to full fitness, to run a lot faster.”
Meanwhile, Neeraj Chopra’s victory has sparked a flurry of celebrations and congratulations from across the country. The Indian Army took to social media to congratulate Chopra on his monumental victory. “Neeraj Chopra makes us proud again!! IndianArmy congratulates Subedar Neeraj Chopra on bagging Gold Medal in Men’s Javelin at the World Athletics Championship 2023 in Budapest with a throw of 88.17 meters,” the Army wrote on the social media platform X.
Prominent figures across various domains also celebrated Chopra’s historic feat.
Union Minister for Youth Affairs & Sports Anurag Thakur tweeted, “Neeraj Chopra does it again! 88.17 Meters for gold. The golden boy of Indian athletics wins the men’s javelin throw at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest. With this, Neeraj Chopra becomes 1st Indian athlete to win a gold medal at the #WorldAthleticsChampionships. The entire nation is proud of your achievements and this moment will be remembered forever in Indian sporting history.”
Cricketer Gautam Gambhir also joined the chorus of praise, tweeting, “Gold for our diamond!”
Indian women’s hockey team player Rani Rampal took to X to write, “Congratulations to the New World Champion Neeraj Chopra. Entire nation is proud of you for scripting history by winning first ever gold for Indian athletics in the World Championship.”
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