In India, not many people knew about the javelin throw until Neeraj Chopra won the gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics. Neeraj, who hails from a small village in Haryana, became a global name in athletics, winning all the top titles possible in the world of javelin. However, his journey to the global stage was never easy. The fit, muscular Neeraj we see today was once a fat, chubby kid who was often bullied for his weight. Ironically, this became the driving force behind his success.
Pressure from family to lose weight
Years before Neeraj achieved greatness, he faced immense pressure from his joint family of 17 to lose weight. At just 13, he had become a mischievous boy, often playing with beehives on village trees and tugging at buffaloes’ tails. His father, Satish Kumar Chopra, wanted to discipline him, and after much persuasion, Neeraj finally agreed to start running to shed some weight.
Everyone called him ‘Sarpanch’ because he used to wear a kurta- pyjama. He had become fat by eating a lot of milk and ghee. As his weight started increasing beyond his age, the whole family sat down and discussed how his body might get spoilt like this. They decided to get him trained somewhere so that his body would get into shape.
From Dubbells to javelin
Neeraj’s uncle took him to Shivaji Stadium in Panipat, about 15 km from their village, where Neeraj’s gym was located nearby. One day, while sitting in the stadium, Neeraj noticed some boys practising the javelin throw. One of them, Jaiveer, encouraged Neeraj to give it a try. On his very first attempt, Neeraj threw the javelin correctly and to a great distance. Impressed, Jaiveer advised him to pursue the sport. Neeraj became interested in the javelin throw, began training in Panchkula, and eventually joined the national camp—and the rest, as they say, is history.
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