More than 140 crore Indians remained stuck to their televisions to witness Neeraj Chopra make history at the World Athletics Championships 2023 in Budapest. On Monday, Neeraj Chopra proved that he is not a 'one-time pony' after he became the first Indian to win a gold medal at the World Athletics Championships 2023. To be precise, Neeraj Chopra won the historic gold in the men's javelin event with a throw of 88.17m in his second attempt. With the victory, Chopra became the first Indian to win the gold medal at the World Athletics Championships. Pakistan's Arshad Nadeem (87.82m) secured the second spot, while Jakub Vadlejch (86.67m) of the Czech Republic won the bronze medal. 2023 World Athletics Championships witnessed India vs Pakistan rivalry when Neeraj Chopra and Arshad Nadeem went head to head for the gold. However, it was Neeraj Chopra who scripted history in the end and therefore many fans termed him as the GOAT 'Great of All Time'. Therefore, those who missed Neeraj Chopra's historic throw at World Athletics Championships 2023, below you can see it-
Neeraj Chopra World Athletics Championships 2023 video
Neeraj Chopra is the GOAT 🇮🇳
— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) August 27, 2023
First Indian to win a Gold Medal in the World Athletics Championships....!!!!!!pic.twitter.com/SyE0TtzDsX
Neeraj Chopra- I want to thank the people of India for staying up late. This medal is for all of India. I'm Olympic champion now I'm world champion. Keep working hard in different fields. We have to make a name in the world. pic.twitter.com/JsymGj3Kwd
— jonathan selvaraj (@jon_selvaraj) August 27, 2023
Neeraj Chopra's 'Night to Remember'
For those who missed Neeraj Chopra's epic performance at the World Athletics Championships 2023, India's 'Golden Boy' started with a foul. However, Chopra made a strong comeback, delivering an exceptional performance on his second try, which turned out to be the best throw of the event. With a remarkable distance of 88.17m, Neeraj Chopra solidified his lead on the table. Ultimately, Neeraj Chopra's second throw became the deciding factor and he secured first-ever gold for India in the history of the tournament. Chopra, the current no.1 in the javelin world rankings, had won the Olympic gold in Tokyo 2020 but finished with a silver at the worlds in Eugene last year, as Anderson Peters had clinched the gold. The only other Indian to win a medal at the worlds was Anju Bobby George, who took bronze in the women's long jump in 2003 in Paris.
PM Modi hails Neera Chopra
Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated athlete Neeraj Chopra for winning a historic gold in men's javelin at the World Athletics Championship 2023. PM Modi took to his official X handle and wrote, "The talented @Neeraj_chopra1 exemplifies excellence. His dedication, precision and passion make him not just a champion in athletics but a symbol of unparalleled excellence in the entire sports world. Congrats to him for winning the Gold at the World Athletics Championships."
The talented @Neeraj_chopra1 exemplifies excellence. His dedication, precision and passion make him not just a champion in athletics but a symbol of unparalleled excellence in the entire sports world. Congrats to him for winning the Gold at the World Athletics Championships. pic.twitter.com/KsOsGmScER
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 28, 2023
Not only PM Modi, but Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur also wrote, "The golden boy of Indian athletics wins the men’s javelin throw at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest. With this, Neeraj Chopra becomes 1st 🇮🇳 athlete to win a gold medal at the #WorldAthleticsChampionships ..The entire nation is proud of your achievements and this moment will be remembered forever in Indian sporting history."
💪💪💪@Neeraj_chopra1 does it again! 🇮🇳
— Anurag Thakur (@ianuragthakur) August 27, 2023
88.17 Meters for 🥇
The golden boy of Indian athletics wins the men’s javelin throw at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest. 🥇
With this, Neeraj Chopra becomes 1st 🇮🇳 athlete to win a gold medal at the… pic.twitter.com/WLmjAXwyFy
What did Neeraj Chopra say after winning World Athletics Championships 2023?
During a virtual press conference, Neeraj Chopra said, "Obviously, when the competitors start throwing well, you feel the pressure. Like in Eugene, my opening throw here was a foul and everyone started getting decent throws in. I knew it was important to get another big throw. I am someone who believes I can bring out my best throw even on my final attempt. I was prepared to push myself even after throwing 88.17m, but had to be mindful of my adductor strain," he said, referring to the injury that had forced him to miss a bunch of competitions in the months leading up to the Worlds.
Neeraj also addressed his dream of touching 90m mark. The 'Golden Boy ' said, "A 90m throw will happen someday, for sure. I have left it to time and destiny. I have been throwing 88m plus since 2018 and there used to be a time when I would think a lot about it. But now, I think winning medals is more important than hitting 90m."