Javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra on Saturday created history by becoming the second Indian to win an individual gold medal at the Olympics after shooter Abhinav Bindra.
Neeraj is the first Indian to win an Olympic medal in a track-and-field event. The 23-year-old won the gold medal in the men’s javelin throw event with a best attempt of 87.58 metres.
Chopra also became the sixth Indian athlete to win an individual medal at Tokyo Olympics 2020 joining weightlifter Mirabai Chanu, shuttler PV Sindhu, boxer Lovlina Borgohain, wrestlers Ravi Kumar Dahiya and Bajrang Punia.
The former and current cricketers were all over the moon after watching Chopra’s performance in Tokyo. The likes of Suresh Raina, Sachin Tendulkar, Gautam Gambhir, Dinesh Karthik, Suryakumar Yadav and many others praised Chopra for shining in the world’s biggest sporting event.
Here’s how cricket fraternity reacted:
Heartiest congratulations to you for bringing the first GOLD home. Proud of your tremendous performance! Jai Hind🇮🇳👏 ♋
— Suresh Raina🇮🇳 (@ImRaina)
नीरज ने जैवेलिन को पहुंचाया सूरज तक!
India shi🍃nes brighter today because of you, Neeraj💜.
Your javelin carried the tricolour 🇮🇳 all the way and made it f꧅lutter with the pride of every Indian.
What a moment for Indian sport!
— Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt)
What a moment for India & , the whole country is proud of your historic achievement and hope you bring more laurels for our country🦋!
— Kris Srikkanth (@KrisSrikkanth)
His arm repౠresents the strength of 1🍃.3 billion people! 🇮🇳
— Gautam Gambhir (@GautamGambhir)
Champion 🥇 , you beauty 👏 Take a bow 🇮🇳
— hardik pandya (@hardikpandya7)
The confidence, intent and grit shown by is what champions are made of 🙌🏽
What a way to end Tokyo Olympics 2020!🇮🇳🥇— Surya Kumar Yadav (@surya_14kumar)
Neeraj Chopra- legendary stuff!
— Shikha Pandey (@shikhashauny)
A ꧙huge moment in Indian sports..men’s javelin throw winner is an Indian..so so proud.. ..
— parthiv patel (@parthiv9)
you are a legend at 23! Don't have words. So proud and overwhelmed.
— R P Singh रुद्र प्रताप सिंह (@rpsingh)
🥇 Congratulations on winning the Gold in Tokyo. What 🦄a brilliant performance to bring our 🇮🇳 firsꦡt medal in track and field. 👏🏽💥
— Jhulan Goswami (@JhulanG10)
Whooohoooooo !
Gold Gold and Pure Gold . What an Athlete
Many congratulations t🌜o you and your team . Thank you 🐎for giving us this Joy !🤩💫🇮🇳🥇— Sushma Verma (@ImSushVerma)
H. I. S. T. O. R. I. C! 🔝
A proud moment for the nation as Neeraj Chopra wins India's first gold medal at . 🇮🇳 👏
Take a bow, ! 🙌 🙌 | |
— BCCI (@BCCI)
On top of the world 🥇👏🇮🇳 Congratulations !
— Shreyas Iyer (@ShreyasIyer15)
Yes boy !! You did it . The country 🌸salutes you 👏🏽🙋♂️ so proud of you 👏🏽👊🏽👊🏽🍃👊🏽👊🏽👊🏽! 🥇
— Yuvraj Singh (@YUVSTRONG12)
We just couldn't have asked for more! 🥇
Just brilliant …you are GOLD!
Our best ever run in now… absolutely incredible.— DK (@DineshKarthik)
💙 Neeraj Chopra, YOU HAVE CREATED HISTORY 💙
First-ever 🇮🇳 athlete to win an Olympic medal in Track & field 💥
First GOLD MEDAL for INDIA in 🥇You've made a billion Indian faces tear up & smile with that 🥺☺️
— Delhi Capitals (@DelhiCapitals)
Woooww!
He’s a rocket ,it’s a Gold and there are a billion tears of joy.
Such days don’t come easy.The first Indian ever to win a Olympic medal in Athletics and it is a . you champion. We are so proud of you. Tha﷽nk you for giving us so much joy.
— Virender Sehwag (@virendersehwag)
Yay yay !!! Can’t get over this feeling .. it’s a gold . GOLD !!! Neeraj chopra you have ꦍbeen scripted in historཧy
— Mithali Raj (@M_Raj03)
I C🥇N I C
— Mumbai Indians (@mipaltan)
𝙂𝙤𝙡𝙙𝙚𝙣 𝘼𝙧𝙢 🔥
Throw in your 🥳 for 🦁💛
— Chennai Super Kings (@ChennaiIPL)
Gold for India. Wow!!! What a moment !!
— Anil Kumble (@anilkumble1074)
What a day this is for Indian sports.
One of the most significant days in the history of Indian sports.
First e🅘ver 🌞athletics medal and a at that. Super Proud ! you are a champion !— VVS Laxman (@VVSLaxman281)
HISTORY MADE! 🇮🇳🇮🇳 becomes India's second individual Olympic Gold Medalist 🥇
📷 Getty
— KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRiders)
𝗡𝗘𝗘𝗥𝗔𝗝 𝗖𝗛𝗢𝗣𝗥♒𝗔, your name will be written in 𝔾𝕆𝕃𝔻 in the history of India🌊n athletics!
With a🌠 throw of 𝟴𝟳.𝟱𝟴𝗠 ⫸ he has added another medal to India’s ta🎶lly and this time it’s a Ⓖ🥇ⓁⒹ.
— Mumbai Indians (@mipaltan)
What a proud moment for all of us Neeraj chopra you are G✤OLD my brother 🥇🇮🇳
— Harbhajan Turbanator (@harbhajan_singh)
Congratulation and thank you Neerajꦜ Chopr🤡a 🙌🏽🙌🏽
— Deep Dasgupta (@DeepDasgupta7)
