Jul 24, 2024, 08:32 PM IST
Neeraj Chopra, India's Tokyo Olympic gold medalist, is poised to pursue another gold medal in Paris.
The world's number one ranked Javelin throw athlete is poised to be one of India's strongest contenders for a gold medal.
Neeraj was a child who struggled with his weight, often facing teasing and ridicule from his peers due to his obesity.
Neeraj stayed away from home for nearly 10 years to train for javelin practice. During those years, he only visited his family once a year.
In 2016, when Neeraj won the Under-20 Championship, he was awarded a job as a Naib Subedar in the Indian Army.
At the Tokyo Olympics, Neeraj set a distance of 87.03 meters in the first round of javelin throw, securing the first position.
According to reports, Neeraj has given up his passion for sweets for his sport. He used to love sweets but now he doesn't eat them because of fitness reasons.
The Golden Boy only went to school until 9th grade. After that, he started distance learning because he wanted to focus on practicing javelin.
Neeraj was quite mischievous during his childhood. He would sometimes break the roofs of beehives and other times pull the tail of a buffalo.
Neeraj was awarded the Arjuna Award in 2018, and in 2022, he was honored with the Padma Shri by the former President.