Neeraj Chopra facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Subedar Major
Neeraj Chopra
PVSM VSM

Chopra in December 2021
Personal information
Nickname(s)	Sarpanch
Nationality	Indian
Born	(1997-12-24) 24 December 1997 (age 27) Khandra, Haryana, India
Education	DAV College Lovely Professional University
Years active	2010–present
Height	1.86 m
Weight	86 kg
Spouse(s)	Himani Mor ​ (m. 2025)​
Military career
Allegiance	India
Service/branch	Indian Army
Years of service	2016–present
Rank	Subedar Major
Service number	JC-471869A
Unit	4 Rajputana Rifles
Awards	Param Vishisht Seva Medal Padma Shri Vishisht Seva Medal
Sport
Country	India
Sport	Athletics Track and field
Event(s)	Javelin throw
Coached by	Jan Železný
Achievements and titles
World finals	2023 2022
Regional finals	2016 2017 2018 2022
Olympic finals	2020 2024
Commonwealth finals	2018
Highest world ranking	1 (11 May 2023)
Personal best(s)	89.94 m NR (2022) 86.48 m WJR (2016)
Medal record Men's javelin throw Representing  India Event 1st 2nd 3rd Olympic Games 1 1 - World Championships 1 1 - Diamond League 1 2 - Commonwealth Games 1 - - Asian Games 2 - - Asian Championships 1 - - South Asian Games 1 - - Paavo Nurmi Games 1 1 - World U20 Championships 1 - - Asian U20 Championships 0 1 0 Olympic Games Gold 2020 Tokyo Javelin throw Silver 2024 Paris Javelin throw World Championships Gold 2023 Budapest Javelin throw Silver 2022 Eugene Javelin throw Diamond League 2022 Zurich Javelin throw Second 2023 Eugene Javelin throw Second 2024 Brussels Javelin throw Commonwealth Games Gold 2018 Gold Coast Javelin throw Asian Games Gold 2018 Jakarta Javelin throw Gold 2022 Hangzhou Javelin throw Asian Championships Gold 2017 Bhubaneshwar Javelin throw South Asian Games Gold 2016 Guwahati Javelin throw Paavo Nurmi Games Gold 2024 Turku Javelin throw Silver 2022 Turku Javelin throw World U20 Championships Gold 2016 Bydgoszcz Javelin throw Asian U20 Championships Silver 2016 Ho Chi Minh City Javelin throw

Subedar Major Neeraj Chopra (born on December 24, 1997) is an amazing Indian track and field athlete. He is known as one of the best javelin throwers from India. Neeraj has won many medals at big events like the Olympics, World Championships, and Asian Games. He has also won the Diamond League once.

Neeraj Chopra made history by winning the gold medal at the 2020 Olympics. He was the first Asian javelin thrower to win Olympic gold! In 2023, he became the first Asian to win a gold medal in javelin at the World Athletics Championships. He has won gold medals in almost every major competition he has entered. Since 2020, he has finished first or second in 24 competitions in a row! He still holds the world junior record for javelin throw from 2016.

Neeraj is the first Indian athlete to win an Olympic gold medal in athletics. As of 2024, he is one of only two Indians to win an individual Olympic gold. He is also the youngest Indian to win an individual Olympic gold. He is the only person to win gold in his very first Olympics. After winning a silver medal at the 2024 Olympics, he became one of five Indians to win multiple Olympic medals. He was also the first Indian to win at the IAAF World U20 Championships in 2016. There, he set a world U20 record with a throw of 86.48 meters. This made him the first Indian athlete to set a world record in athletics.

In 2022, Neeraj won a silver medal at the World Athletics Championships. This was only the second time an Indian athlete had won a medal at these championships. He also won gold at the 2018 Commonwealth Games. He has won multiple gold medals at the Asian Games, in both 2018 and 2022. He even carried the flag for India at the 2018 Asian Games.

Since June 2021, Neeraj has been very consistent. He has finished as a winner or runner-up in 24 competitions in a row. He also finished first in the qualifying rounds at two Olympics and two World Championships.

Early Life and Training

Growing Up

Neeraj Chopra was born on December 24, 1997. He grew up in a farming family in Khandra village in Haryana, India. His parents, Saroj Devi and Satish Chopra, are both farmers. He has two sisters, Savita and Sangeeta.

School and Sports

Neeraj went to BVN Public School in Panipat. When he was younger, some people made fun of him because he was a bit overweight. So, he joined a gym in Panipat. While at the gym, he saw javelin throwers practicing at a nearby stadium. He decided to try the sport himself.

In 2010, at age 13, he moved to Panchkula to train at the Tau Devi Lal Sports Complex. He also went to Dayanand Anglo-Vedic College in Chandigarh for his schooling.

While in school, Neeraj won several national javelin championships in 2012 and 2014. Because of his great sports performance, he joined the Indian Army in 2016. He was chosen for special training at the Army Sports Institute in Pune. In 2021, he started studying for his Bachelor of Arts degree at Lovely Professional University in Jalandhar.

Personal Life

In January 2025, Neeraj Chopra married Himani Mor, who used to be a tennis player and coach.

Amazing Career Highlights

Starting Out (2010–2012)

In 2010, Neeraj tried out at the Sports Authority of India (SAI) center in Panipat. A javelin thrower named Jaiveer Singh saw him throw a javelin 40 meters without any training! Jaiveer started teaching him the basics. Neeraj finished third in his first district championships. He convinced his family to let him train more at the SAI center.

After a year, 13-year-old Neeraj moved to Panchkula to train at the Tau Devi Lal Stadium. This stadium had a special track for javelin throwers. He trained with a running coach, Naseem Ahmad, because there wasn't a javelin coach. Neeraj and his friend Parminder Singh watched videos of famous javelin thrower Jan Zelezny to learn from him. He started by throwing around 55 meters and slowly got better. In October 2012, he won a gold medal at the National Junior Athletics Championships. He set a new junior national record with a throw of 68.40 meters.

International Debut (2013–2016)

In 2013, Neeraj competed in his first international event, the World Youth Championships in Ukraine. He finished 19th. In 2014, he won his first international medal, a silver, at a Youth Olympics Qualification event in Bangkok. That year, he threw over 70 meters for the first time.

In 2015, he broke the world junior record at a university meet, throwing 81.04 meters. This was his first throw over 80 meters! Because of his good results, he was invited to a national training camp in Patiala in 2016. He said this was a big moment for him. He got better training, food, and facilities. Training with other top javelin throwers also made him feel more confident. His coach became Kashinath Naik, who had won a bronze medal at the 2010 Commonwealth Games.

Chopra won the gold medal in the 2017 Asian Athletics Championships in Bhubaneshwar.

At the 2016 South Asian Games, Neeraj set a new personal best. He won gold with a throw of 82.23 meters in Guwahati. After this, he trained with Australian coach Gary Calvert. In July 2016, he won gold at the 2016 IAAF World U20 Championships in Poland. He threw 86.48 meters, setting a new world junior record! He became the first Indian to hold both the national senior record and the world junior record at the same time. Even though his throw was good enough for the 2016 Olympics, he couldn't go because the deadline had passed.

In December 2016, he officially joined the Indian Army as a Junior Commissioned Officer. He was given the rank of Naib Subedar in the Rajputana Rifles. This allowed him to take time off to continue his training. In 2017, he won gold at the 2017 Asian Athletics Championships in Bhubaneshwar with a throw of 85.23 meters.

Asian and Commonwealth Champion (2017–2020)

General Bipin Rawat, Chief of Army Staff, congratulating Neeraj Chopra for his great performance in the 2018 Commonwealth Games.

In August 2017, at the World Championships, Neeraj finished 15th. He had a small injury later that month, which made him take a break from competing for the rest of 2017. He trained with Werner Daniels in Germany to get stronger and improve his throwing style.

Chopra receiving the Arjuna Award from Ram Nath Kovind, the President of India, in 2018.

At the 2018 Commonwealth Games, Neeraj won the gold medal with a throw of 86.47 meters. He was the first Indian to win the javelin throw at the Commonwealth Games. In May 2018, he broke his own national record again with a throw of 87.43 meters. In August 2018, he competed in his first Asian Games. He was chosen to carry the flag for India! On August 27, he threw 88.06 meters to win the gold medal. This was a new Indian national record and India's first gold medal in javelin throw at the Asian Games.

The Athletics Federation of India (AFI) suggested Neeraj for India's highest sports award, the Major Dhyanchand Khel Ratna. In September 2018, he received the Arjuna Award. The army also promoted him to subedar in November. To get ready for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, he trained with German coach Uwe Hohn.

Return to Competition (2019–2020)

Neeraj missed the 2019 World Championships because of an elbow injury. He had surgery in May 2019. After recovering and training, he returned to international competitions in January 2020. He threw 87.86 meters in South Africa, which was enough to qualify for the 2020 Olympics. He planned to train in Turkey, but had to return to India in March 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Due to the pandemic, Neeraj trained in Patiala for most of the next year. In late 2020, he attended a special training camp in Bhubaneswar. On March 5, 2021, he broke his own national record again with a throw of 88.07 meters. This made him the third-best in the world that season. He faced some challenges getting a visa to train in Europe, but with help from the government, he was able to go. He flew to Paris in June 2021 for quarantine, then traveled to Portugal. He won gold there with a throw of 83.18 meters. He continued training in Sweden.

In June 2021, Neeraj competed in Sweden and won gold with a throw of 80.96 meters. He then won a bronze medal in Finland with a throw of 86.79 meters. He won gold at the Kuortane Games with a throw of 86.69 meters. He felt his performance was a bit lower because he was throwing the javelin too high. He also had to use a different javelin. He decided to skip another competition in Switzerland because he was tired.

Olympic Gold and World Champion (2021–Present)

On August 4, 2021, Neeraj Chopra made his Olympic debut at the Tokyo Olympics. In the qualifying rounds, he threw 86.65 meters, which was the best in his group. This meant he automatically made it to the final. In the final on August 7, he won the gold medal with a throw of 87.58 meters on his second try!

He became the first Indian athlete to win a gold medal in athletics at the Olympics. He was also the first Indian to win an individual Olympic gold medal since Abhinav Bindra. And he was the first Asian athlete to win an Olympic gold medal in javelin throw! He was the youngest Indian to win an individual Olympic gold. His medal helped India achieve its best-ever finish at the Olympic Games. He dedicated his win to two famous Indian sprinters, Milkha Singh and P. T. Usha. After his amazing performance, he became the world number two in men's javelin throw.

Chopra at a competition in Stockholm in 2022.

In June 2022, at the Paavo Nurmi Games in Finland, he came in second place. He set a new personal best and national record with a throw of 89.30 meters. In July 2022, he won the silver medal at the 2022 World Athletics Championships with a throw of 88.13 meters. This was only India's second medal ever at the World Athletics Championships. On August 26, he won first place at a competition in Switzerland with a throw of 89.09 meters. This qualified him for the Diamond League final. On September 8, he won the final with a throw of 88.44 meters. He became the first Indian to win the Diamond League finals!

In May 2023, he won the Doha Diamond League with a throw of 88.67 meters. In the same month, he became the number one ranked men's javelin thrower in the world! In August 2023, he won the gold medal at the 2023 World Athletics Championships with a throw of 88.17 meters. He was the first Asian to win gold in javelin throw at the World Championships. In October 2023, he won his second Asian Games gold medal at the 2022 Asian Games with a throw of 88.88 meters.

Paris Olympics and Diamond League (2024–Present)

Neeraj qualified for the 2024 Paris Olympics at the Asian Games. He started his 2024 season at the 2024 Doha Diamond League in May, finishing second with a throw of 88.36 meters. This was just 2 cm short of the winner! On May 15, he competed in India for the first time since becoming Olympic champion. He won gold at the Federation Cup 2024 with a throw of 82.27 meters. Before the Paris Olympics, Neeraj won gold at the Paavo Nurmi Games in June with a throw of 85.97 meters.

In the qualifying round for the men's javelin throw at the Paris Olympics, he threw 89.34 meters on his first try. This was his best throw of the season and easily qualified him for the final. In the final, his only good throw was 89.45 meters. This throw earned him a silver medal, coming in second to Pakistan's Arshad Nadeem.

With his gold medal in 2020 and silver in 2024, Neeraj became the fifth Indian to win multiple Olympic medals. He also secured second place at the Lausanne Diamond League in August 2024, with a season-best throw of 89.49 meters.

Coaching History

Neeraj Chopra has trained with several coaches throughout his career.

Years	Coach
2010–2011	Jaiveer Singh
2011–2016	Naseem Ahmed
2016	Kashinath Naik
2016–2017	Gary Calvert
2018–2021	Uwe Hohn
2021–2024	Klaus Bartonietz
2024–present	Jan Železný

Performance Record

Year	Tournament	Venue	Position	Result	Ref.
2013	World U18 Championships	Donetsk, Ukraine	19th	66.75 m
2015	Asian Championships	Wuhan, China	9th	70.50 m
2016	South Asian Games	Guwahati, India	1st	82.23 m
2016	Asian U20 Championships	Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam	2nd	77.60 m
2016	World U20 Championships	Bydgoszcz, Poland	1st	86.48 m WU20R
2017	Asian Championships	Bhubaneswar, India	1st	85.23 m
2017	World Championships	London, United Kingdom	15th	82.26 m
2018	Commonwealth Games	Gold Coast, Australia	1st	86.47 m
2018	Asian Games	Jakarta, Indonesia	1st	88.06 m
2021	Olympic Games	Tokyo, Japan	1st	87.58 m
2022	World Championships	Eugene, United States	2nd	88.13 m
2023	World Championships	Budapest, Hungary	1st	88.17 m
2023	Asian Games	Hangzhou, China	1st	88.88 m
2024	Olympic Games	Paris, France	2nd	89.45m
2025	World Championships	Tokyo, Japan	TBA	TBA

Diamond League Results

Other Wins

• Sotteville Athletics Meet (2018)
• Savo Games (2018)
• Meeting Cidade de Lisboa (2021)
• Folksam Grand Prix (2021)
• Kuortane Games (2022)
• Paavo Nurmi Games (2024)

Seasonal Bests

Year	Date	Location	Performance	Notes
2013	26 July	Thiruvananthapuram, India	69.66 m
2014	17 August	Patiala, India	70.19 m
2015	31 December		81.04 m
2016	23 July	Bydgoszcz, Poland	86.48 m	WJR WU20R
2017	2 June	Patiala, India	85.63 m
2018	27 August	Jakarta, Indonesia	88.06 m
2020	28 January	Potchefstroom, South Africa	87.86 m
2021	5 March	Patiala, India	88.07 m
2022	30 June	Stockholm, Sweden	89.94 m	PB, NR
2023	4 October	Hangzhou, China	88.88 m
2024	22 August	Lausanne, Switzerland	89.49 m

Source: World Athletics

Awards and Recognition

National Honours

Ram Nath Kovind, the President of India at the time, giving the Padma Shri award to Chopra in 2022.

In 2018, Neeraj received the Arjuna Award for being excellent in sports. In 2021, he was given the Khel Ratna Award, which is India's highest sports honour. In 2022, he received the Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian award in India.

Other Recognitions

In August 2021, the Army Sports Institute Stadium in Pune was renamed the Neeraj Chopra Stadium. This was done by the then defence minister, Rajnath Singh. Vogue India magazine featured him as their Man of the Year in 2021. He was the first male athlete to be on their cover. In November 2022, Switzerland Tourism made Neeraj Chopra their ambassador for India. In 2025, a US magazine called Track & Field News named him the best male javelin thrower.

Army Ranks

Insignia	Rank	Component	Date
	Naib Subedar	Indian Army	2016
	Subedar		2021
	Subedar Major		2024

Awards and Nominations

See Also

• Athletics in India
• Athletics Federation of India
• Javelin throw at the Olympics
• India at the Olympics
• India at the 2020 Summer Olympics
• Sports in Haryana