Neeraj Chopra facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Lieutenant Colonel
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	Lieutenant Colonel
Service number	JC-471869A
Unit	Territorial Army
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 (May 2023)
Personal best(s)	90.23 m NR (2025) 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 - - U20 World Championships 1 - - U20 Asian 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 U20 World Championships Gold 2016 Bydgoszcz Javelin throw U20 Asian Championships Silver 2016 Ho Chi Minh City Javelin throw

Lieutenant Colonel Neeraj Chopra (born December 24, 1997) is a famous Indian javelin thrower. He is known as one of the best javelin throwers ever. He has won gold medals at the Olympic Games, World Championships, and Asian Games. Chopra has also won the Diamond League once.

He won his first Olympic gold medal in 2020, becoming the first Asian javelin thrower to achieve this. In 2023, he became the first Asian to win a gold medal in javelin throw at the World Championships. He has won gold in almost every major competition and has been on the podium in many tournaments since 2020. Since his amazing performance at the 2016 World U20 Championship, he still holds the junior javelin throw world record.

Chopra is the first Indian athlete to win a gold medal in athletics at the Olympics. He is one of only two Indians to have won an individual Olympic gold medal. He is also the youngest Indian to win an individual Olympic gold and the only one to win gold in his first Olympics. After winning a silver medal at the 2024 Olympics, he became one of five Indians to win multiple individual Olympic medals. He was also the first Indian to win at the World U-20 Championships in 2016. There, he set a world U20 record with a throw of 86.48 meters, becoming the first Indian athlete to set a world record in athletics.

In 2022, Chopra won a silver medal at the World Athletics Championships, making him the second Indian athlete to win a medal at this event. He also won gold at the 2018 Commonwealth Games and has won multiple gold medals at the Asian Games. He won gold at the 2018 and 2022 Asian Games. He was also the flag-bearer for India at the 2018 Asian Games.

Since June 2021, Neeraj has been very consistent. He has finished first or second in 24 competitions in a row. He also topped the qualifying rounds at two Olympic Games and two World Championships.

Early Life and Training

Growing Up and Starting Javelin

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

When he was young, some people teased him about his weight. This led him to join a gym in Panipat. While at the gym, he saw javelin throwers practicing at Shivaji Stadium and decided to try the sport. In 2010, at age 13, he moved to Panchkula to train at the Tau Devi Lal Sports Complex. He also studied at Dayanand Anglo-Vedic College in Chandigarh.

Joining the Army and Further Education

While in school, Chopra 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 the Mission Olympics Wing 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, Punjab.

Personal Life

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

Javelin Career Highlights

Early Days (2010–2016)

In 2010, Neeraj tried out at the Sports Authority of India center in Panipat. A javelin thrower named Jaiveer Singh noticed his natural talent and started training him. Neeraj learned the basics and practiced with other athletes. He finished third in a local event, which convinced his family to let him train more seriously.

He later moved to the Tau Devi Lal Stadium in Panchkula, which had a special track for javelin. There, he trained under Naseem Ahmad, a running coach. Neeraj and another javelin thrower, Parminder Singh, watched videos of famous javelin thrower Jan Zelezny to learn his style. Neeraj's throws improved steadily. In October 2012, he won a gold medal at the National Junior Athletics Championships in Lucknow, setting a new junior national record of 68.40 meters.

International Debut and Records (2013–2016)

In 2013, Neeraj competed in his first international event, the World Youth Championships in Ukraine. He won his first international medal, a silver, at the Youth Olympics Qualification in Bangkok in 2014. That same 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. His performance led him to a national training camp in Patiala in 2016. He felt this was a big turning point because he got better facilities and coaching. He trained with 2010 Commonwealth Games medalist Kashinath Naik.

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

At the 2016 South Asian Games in Guwahati, Neeraj set a new personal best of 82.23 meters and won gold. He then started training with Australian coach Gary Calvert. In July 2016, he won gold at the 2016 IAAF World U20 Championships in Poland with a throw of 86.48 meters. This set a new world junior record, and 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 won gold at the 2017 Asian Athletics Championships with a throw of 85.23 meters.

Becoming Asian and Commonwealth Champion (2017–2020)

General Bipin Rawat, Chief of Army Staff, congratulating Neeraj Chopra (second from right) for his performance in the 2018 Commonwealth Games.

In August 2017, Neeraj finished 15th at the World Championships. He later got a groin injury, which made him stop competing for the rest of 2017. After recovering, he trained in Germany with Werner Daniels to improve his strength and throwing technique.

Chopra receiving the Arjuna Award from Ram Nath Kovind, President of India, on 25 September 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 with a throw of 87.43 meters. In August 2018, he made his debut at the Asian Games and was India's flag-bearer. He won the gold medal with a throw of 88.06 meters, setting another Indian national record. This was India's first javelin throw gold at the Asian Games.

He received the Arjuna Award in September 2018, a top sports award in India. The army also promoted him to subedar. For the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, he trained with German coach Uwe Hohn.

Overcoming Injury and Making a Comeback (2019–2020)

Neeraj missed the 2019 World Championships due to an elbow injury. He had surgery in May 2019. After recovering and training, he returned to international competition in January 2020. He threw 87.86 meters in South Africa, which was enough to qualify for the 2020 Olympics. However, the COVID-19 pandemic forced him to return to India.

He spent the next year training in Patiala. In March 2021, he broke his national record again with a throw of 88.07 meters. He then traveled to Europe for training, winning gold medals in Portugal and Sweden. He also won a bronze medal in Finland.

Olympic, World, and Diamond League Champion (2021–2024)

On August 4, 2021, Neeraj Chopra made his Olympic debut at the Tokyo Olympics. He easily qualified for the final. In the final on August 7, he won the gold medal with a throw of 87.58 meters on his second attempt. He became the first Indian athlete to win a gold medal in athletics and the first Indian to win an Olympic medal in athletics since India's independence. He was also the second Indian to win an individual Olympic gold medal, and the first Asian athlete to win an Olympic gold in javelin throw. He was the youngest Indian to win an individual Olympic gold and the only one to win gold in his first Olympics. His medal helped India achieve its best-ever finish at the Olympic Games. He dedicated his win to Indian sprinters Milkha Singh and P. T. Usha. After this win, he became the world number two in men's javelin throw.

Chopra at the 2022 BAUHAUS-galan in Stockholm

In June 2022, at the Paavo Nurmi Games in Finland, he placed second with a new personal best and national record of 89.30 meters. In the 2022 Diamond League, he broke his national record again with a throw of 89.94 meters in Stockholm. In July 2022, he won the silver medal at the 2022 World Athletics Championships with a throw of 88.13 meters. This was India's second medal ever at the World Athletics Championships. On August 26, he won first place at the Athletissima in Lausanne with a throw of 89.09 meters, qualifying for the Diamond League final. On September 8, he won the final with a throw of 88.44 meters, becoming 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. That same month, he became the world number one in men's javelin throw rankings for the first time. In August 2023, he won the gold medal at the 2023 World Athletics Championships with a throw of 88.17 meters. He became the first Asian to win gold in the javelin throw at the World Championships. In October 2023, he won his second Asian Games gold medal at the 2022 Asian Games with a season-best throw of 88.88 meters.

Paris Olympics and Beyond (2024–Present)

Neeraj qualified for the 2024 Paris Olympics at the 2022 Asian Games. At the 2024 Doha Diamond League, he finished second with a throw of 88.36 meters. He won gold at the Federation Cup with a throw of 82.27 meters. He then won gold at the 2024 Paavo Nurmi Games with a throw of 85.97 meters.

At the Paris Olympics, he topped the qualification round with his season best of 89.34 meters. In the final, his best throw was 89.45 meters, earning him a silver medal. With this, he became the fifth Indian to win multiple Olympic medals and the first to win both a gold and a silver. He also finished second at the Lausanne meet with a season-best throw of 89.49 meters. Chopra ended the 2024 season by finishing second in the 2024 Diamond League final.

In May 2025, at the Doha qualification meeting of the 2025 Diamond League, Chopra finally threw over the 90-meter mark, reaching 90.23 meters. He was leading the event until Julian Weber threw 91.06 meters in his final attempt.

Audi India announced Neeraj Chopra as their brand ambassador in May 2025. He then won the Paris qualification meet of the 2025 Diamond League. His next win was at the Golden Spike Ostrava. He also hosted and won the first ever Neeraj Chopra Classic event in India, in front of 15,000 fans.

Coaching History

Neeraj Chopra has trained with several coaches throughout his career.

Duration	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

Major Tournaments

Year	Tournament	Venue	Position	Result	Ref.
2013	U18 World 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	U20 Asian Championships	Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam	2nd	77.60 m
2016	U20 World 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	TBD	TBD
2026	Commonwealth Games	Glasgow, Scotland	TBD	TBD
2026	Asian Games	Nagoya, Japan	TBD	TBD

Diamond League Results

Invitational Meets

Year	Tournament	Venue	Position	Result	Ref.
2018	Sotteville Athletics Meet	France	1st	85.17 m
2018	Savo Games	Finland	1st	85.69 m
2021	Meeting Cidade de Lisboa	Portugal	1st	83.18 m
2021	Folksam Grand Prix	Sweden	1st	80.96 m
2021	Kuortane Games	Finland	3rd	86.79 m
2022	Kuortane Games	Finland	1st	86.69 m
2024	Paavo Nurmi Games	Finland	1st	85.97 m
2025	Potchefstroom Invitational	South Africa	1st	84.52 m
2025	Janusz Kusociński Memorial	Poland	2nd	84.14 m
2025	Golden Spike Ostrava	Czech Republic	1st	85.29 m
2025	Neeraj Chopra Classic	India	1st	86.18 m

Best Throws Each Year

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	NR
2023	4 October	Hangzhou, China	88.88 m
2024	22 August	Lausanne, Switzerland	89.49 m
2025	16 May	Doha, Qatar	90.23 m	NR

Source: World Athletics

Army Ranks

Neeraj Chopra has been promoted several times in the Indian Army.

Insignia	Rank	Component	Duration	Ref
	Naib Subedar	Indian Army	2016–2021
	Subedar		2021–2024
	Subedar Major		2024–2025
	Lieutenant Colonel		2025–present

Awards and Recognition

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

Neeraj Chopra has received many important awards and honors.

Year	Honour	Ribbon	Ref
2022	Param Vishisht Seva Medal
	Padma Shri
	Vishisht Seva Medal
	75th Independence Anniversary Medal

Sports Awards

See also

In Spanish: Neeraj Chopra para niños

• 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