Even though track and field athlete Neeraj Chopra has had multiple accolades in his name, the sports personality got much-needed recognition after he bagged a gold at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. And since then, he has been omnipresent.
His magnificent and smooth javelin throw of 87.58 m in his second attempt made him reach new heights of success.
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However, after enjoying the attention he received, Chopra has decided to get back to the fields and not let his gold weigh on him. Neeraj has now become the second Indian to have bagged an individual Olympic gold in Tokyo after shooter Abhinav Bindra and that’s the reason why Chopra admires Bindra so much, “When I started competing internationally, I understood about Abhinav Bindraji. I realized that this, to win Olympic gold, was a very unique thing for India. That only one person had won it,” Chopra said to Vogue.
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Chopra is delighted that his Olympic win has also helped the sport gain national and international recognition.
“It’s good that people know and appreciate you, but what’s bigger is that now everyone acknowledges my sport. Earlier you told them about it and still, they wouldn’t understand. Now everyone in India knows what a javelin is. I’m most happy about that.”
It’s only because of his love for the sport that Neeraj is able to put multiple feathers on his cap. He says, “It is a part of me. It is attached to my name— javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra is my pehchaan. I am connected to it.”
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For an athlete like him, hard work is the only stairway to make his mark on the top and he doesn’t want to stop at this point. “I’m an athlete, my job is to work. It’s not that my Olympic medal is everything and so I don’t need to do more. People remember those who win multiple medals in Olympics.”
As a son of the soil, Chopra wants to use his influence in making a smooth path for Indian athletes like him. His dream is to have more grounds, coaches at those grounds, and regular competitions for Indian kids.
“If not a ground in every village, at least one close to them, shared by other villages. And with coaches to guide them. When I go to Europe, all age groups have 15 or 20 competitions a year in the season. Competitions allow children to know their progress. Otherwise, you just train but don’t know the direction you are taking.”
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Even though Chopra has gained multitudinous followers on his social media, partnered with multiple brands and channelized his model-self for several photoshoots, he has decided to focus on the positives and not let all the drama affect him. “I don’t ghuso into social media, but if I know I’m 100-per-cent right, I will speak up.”
Despite his prolific, limelight-gaining achievement, he has stayed humble and positive. “I don’t do things to show off. No way. I do it because I like it and feel good about it,” concludes the man of the year.
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It’s refreshing how Chopra, who was also once termed as the ‘bachelor of the year’ isn’t affected by all the limelight and wants to stay focussed on the sport that has helped him become everyone’s focus of attention. More power to you!