Budapest: Neeraj Chopra, the golden boy of Indian athletics, has done it again. After becoming the first Indian to win an Olympic gold medal in track and field in Tokyo, he has now clinched the gold medal in javelin throw at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest. He threw 88.17m in his first attempt, which was enough to secure the top spot on the podium.
https://twitter.com/WorldAthletics/status/1695893679557247055
This is not only Neeraj’s first gold medal in the World Athletics Championships but also India’s first-ever gold medal in the prestigious event. He is also the first Indian athlete to win two medals in the World Championships, having won a silver medal in the previous edition. The only other Indian to win a medal in the World Championships was Anju Bobby George, who won a bronze medal in the long jump in 2003.
Neeraj faced a tough challenge from Arshad Nadeem of Pakistan, who won the silver medal with a throw of 87.82m. Nadeem had thrown 88.77m in the qualifying round, but could not repeat his performance in the final. Neeraj also failed to improve his mark in his next four attempts, but his first throw was enough to make him the world champion. He added another feather to his cap and gave India a reason to celebrate.
