Neeraj Chopra brings home first Gold medal for India at Tokyo Olympics
Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO) of the Indian Army, Neeraj Chopra, won the gold medal in the men's javelin throw event with a throw of 87.58m.
Neeraj Chopra on Saturday created history by becoming the second Indian to win an individual gold medal in Olympics after shooter Abhinav Bindra.
Neeraj is the first Indian in over 120 years, and the first athlete from independent India, to win an Olympic medal in a track-and-field discipline.
He kicked off the proceedings with a gigantic 87.03m and then aced it up in the second attempt by reaching the 87.58m mark. However, the third and fourth attempts by the Indian didn’t count. In the fifth and final attempt, Neeraj threw 84.24m.
Congratulations poured in from across the country the moment Chopra won the gold medal in Tokyo. “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,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi said.
Neeraj Chopra’s gold took India’s medal count to seven at the Tokyo Olympics – the best ever, bettering the tally of six medals at the London Olympics in 2012.
Chopra also became the sixth Indian athlete to win an individual medal at Tokyo 2020 joining weightlifter Mirabai Chanu, shuttler PV Sindhu, boxer Lovlina Borgohain, wrestlers Ravi Kumar Dahiya and Bajrang Punia.
