Neeraj Chopra has become the poster boy for Indian sports ever since his historic javelin gold during the Tokyo Games in 2021. Two years on, the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna awardee, showcased his credentials to ascend to realms of sporting immortality in India with another power-packed year in 2023.
The now 26-year-old became India’s first-ever world champion this year. Chopra’s first outing of the year set the tone for the rest of the season. With his first throw of the competition at the Wanda Diamond League meeting in Doha, he sent his spear out to 88.67m to defeat world and Olympic medallist Jakub Vadlejch.
The same month, Neera became the world number one in men’s javelin throw, achieving his career-best ranking, making him also the first Indian to become the world no. 1 in track and field. Shortly after, Neeraj released a statement announcing that he had suffered a muscle strain during training and pulled out two subsequent competitions.
After returning from a one-month injury layoff, he notched up another Diamond League victory one month later in Lausanne, winning with 87.66m. Neeraj Chopra won a historic maiden gold medal for India in the World Athletics Championships in the men’s javelin throw competition, to become a world champion as India finished the 19th edition of the biennial with a lone medal.
He qualified for the World Athletic Championships, where he clinched gold – adding to his own silver at the 2022 edition in Oregon and Anju Bobby George’s long jump bronze in Paris at the 2003 edition – India’s third medal at the meet. With that Neeraj became only the second Indian, after legendary shooter Abhinav Bindra, to simultaneously hold the Olympics and World Championships title. Bindra won the World Championships title when he was 23, and the Olympics gold at 25.
Chopra’s season ended on a high at the Asian Games in Hangzhou, where he successfully defended his title with a season’s best of 88.88m, leading an Indian 1-2 finish from compatriot Kishore Kumar Jena.
Neeraj did not manage to come close to his best-ever throw of 89.94m, the national record which he managed at the Stockholm Diamond League last year, but came close.
Neeraj Chopra’s Best Throws in 2023
At the Hangzhou Asian Games, Neeraj Chopra had to suffer through technical confusion. His first attempt in the final, which appeared to be well beyond his best was not registered due to a technical glitch on the part of the officials as the distance was not recorded.A lengthy discussion followed as the defending champion was asked to wait. That did not throw off Neeraj’s concentration as he went on to clinch gold again.
With a stellar year, Neeraj Chopra was shortlisted for the men’s ‘World Athlete of the Year’ award. He did not end up winning as Swedish Pole Vault star Mondo Duplantis (Men’s field), Kenyan marathon runner Kelvin Kiptum (Men’s out of stadia) and American sprinter Noah Lyles (Men’s track), were announced as winners.
The superstar from Haryana’s Khandra though will turn his attention to the coming year. The 2024 Paris Olympics looms large as Neeraj will start his training overseas from December 25 till February 29 in Potchefstroom, South Africa.
After the stint in the African nation, Chopra will then head to Turkey and then to Paris for the Games. He’s then expected to be in Belgium for the Diamond League finals in mid-September.
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