| Neeraj Chopra Quick Info | |
|---|---|
| Height | 6 ft |
| Weight | 80 kg |
| Date of Birth | December 24, 1997 |
| Zodiac Sign | Capricorn |
| Eye Color | Dark Brown |
Neeraj Chopra is an Indian track and field athlete who specializes in the javelin throw event and has clinched the ‘Gold’ medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, the 2018 Jakarta Asian Games, the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games, the 2017 Bhubaneshwar Asian Athletics Championships, the 2016 Guwahati/Shillong South Asian Games, and the 2016 Bydgoszcz World Junior Athletics Championships. He had also secured the ‘Silver’ medal at the 2016 Ho Chi Minh City Asian Junior Athletics Championships. In 2018, he was honored with the prestigious ‘Arjuna Award’, the 2nd-highest sporting honor of India.
Born Name
Neeraj Chopra
Nick Name
Golden Boy
Sun Sign
Capricorn
Born Place
Panipat, Haryana, India
Residence
Haryana, India
Nationality
Education
Neeraj had graduated from the Dayanand Anglo-Vedic College in Chandigarh, a renowned institution that has produced more than 50 international-level sportspersons for India.
He had later joined the Lovely Professional University, a private university in Phagwara, Punjab. He had pursued a bachelor of arts degree there.
Occupation
Track and Field Athlete
Family
- Father – Satish Kumar (Farmer)
- Mother – Saroj Devi
- Siblings – Sangeeta (Sister), Sarita (Sister)
Manager
He is represented by Aman Shah, Manager and Booking Agent, JSW Sports, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India.
Build
Athletic
Height
6 ft or 183 cm
Weight
80 kg or 176.5 lbs
Race / Ethnicity
Asian (Indian)
He is of Rod Maratha descent.
Hair Color
Black
Eye Color
Dark Brown
Sexual Orientation
Straight
Distinctive Features
- Toned physique
- Center-parted, wavy hair
- Often sports a light stubble
Brand Endorsements
In 2021, Neeraj was seen in an ad for the Indian fintech company, CRED and Tata AIA Life Insurance.
Neeraj Chopra Facts
- He was obese as a child due to which his father had enrolled him in a local gym for which he had to cycle to and from 24 kilometers each day. He had later switched to a different gym in his hometown of Panipat. During this phase, he used to often visit the nearby center of the Sports Authority of India where his sporting talent was spotted by javelin thrower Jaiveer Choudhary. He had noticed Neeraj achieve a distance of 40 m with no prior experience and had instantly decided to coach him.
- At the 2016 Bydgoszcz World Junior Athletics Championships, he had set a world under-20 record with a throw of 86.48 m.
- He was the flag-bearer for India at the opening ceremony at the 2018 Asian Games, his debut appearance at the event.
- When he had won the ‘Gold’ medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, his debut appearance at the event, he had become the first Indian track and field athlete to achieve this feat. He was only the 2nd sportsperson to clinch an athletics medal of any color for India; after Norman Pritchard had won 2 ‘Silver’ medals way back at the 1900 Paris Olympics.
- He is also only the 2nd Indian sportsperson to win an individual ‘Gold’ medal at the Olympics after Abhinav Bindra had done so in the men’s 10 m air rifle event at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
- He had joined the Indian Army in 2016 and was serving in the 4 Rajputana Rifles unit as of August 2021, at the rank of ‘Subedar’, a rank of junior commissioned officer in the Indian Army.
- At the 2020 Republic Day honors, he was honored with the ‘Vishisht Seva Medal (VSM)’, a decoration of the Indian armed forces that is awarded to recognize ‘distinguished service of a high order’ to all ranks of the Indian Armed forces.
- In September 2021, Neeraj was gifted a puppy named “Tokyo” by India’s first individual Olympics Gold medallist, Abhinav Bindra.
- In March 2022, Neeraj received the Padma Shri, the fourth-highest civilian honor.
- In June 2022, Neeraj broke his own national record at the Paavo Nurmi Games held in Finland. He won the silver medal at the event with 89.30 meters as the best throw. His previous national record was of 88.07 meters which he had set in March 2021.
- In June 2022, during Kuortane Games in Finland, Neeraj won his first Gold medal of 2022. His best throw was of 86.69 m in the contest.
- On June 30, 2022, Neeraj broke his own national record with 89.94 meters of best throw at the Stockholm Diamond League and with this, won the silver medal at the event. Anderson Peters had won the gold medal.
- In July 2022, Neeraj Chopra won a silver medal at World Athletics Championships by having the best throw of 88.13 m. By this, he created history as he became the first Indian to win a silver at this event. He is also the second Indian to win a medal at this event after Anju Bobby George won a bronze medal in the long jump in 2003.
- In July 2022, Neeraj missed the Commonwealth Games 2022 because of a groin injury that he incurred during World Athletics Championships. Hence, he was not able to defend his title.
- In August 2022, Neeraj Chopra finished first by registering the best throw of 89.08 m at the Lausanne Diamond League in Switzerland. With this, he became the first Indian to win the Diamond League Meeting title and created history.
- In September 2022, Neeraj Chopra became the first Indian to win the Diamond Trophy. With the best throw of 88.44 meters, he won the final of the Diamond League in Zurich, Switzerland, and prize money of $30,000.
- In late 2022, Neeraj admitted in an interview that he had gained weight after winning the gold medal in the Olympics in August 2021.
Featured Image by Neeraj Chopra / Instagram
