Olympics 2020 Closing Ceremony: Tokyo passes baton to Paris as Games come to an end
Other Sports | August 08, 2021 18:11 ISTTokyo Olympics 2020 Closing Ceremony Live: Find full details about the Tokyo Olympic Games closing ceremony.
Tokyo Olympics 2020 Closing Ceremony Live: Find full details about the Tokyo Olympic Games closing ceremony.
Neeraj Chopra, who brought India a first Olympic gold medal in athletics, received a brilliant reception from the Indian athletes at the Tokyo Olympic village.
After winning a historic Olympic gold, Neeraj Chopra said that his aim now is to breach the 90m mark. The Javelin thrower achieved his personal best (88.07m) in March this year.
Imperfect but not impossible, these Olympics — willed into existence despite a pandemic that sparked worldwide skepticism and hard-wired opposition from Japan's own citizens — just might go down as the Games that changed sports for good.
23-year-old Chopra became the country's first track-and-field Olympic medallist with his gold, which was India's first since shooter Abhinav Bindra's win in the 2008 Beijing Games.
The Haryana athlete, who is a Subedar with 4 Rajputana Rifles in the Indian Army, clinched the gold in the javelin throw with an attempt of 87.58 metres.
Chopra also revealed that he went completely blank before his last throw as realisation dawned that he had managed to secure an unparalleled top finish at the Games here.
The 28-year-old Vetter had come into the Olympics as a hot favourite for gold, having thrown 90m plus on seven occasions between April and June but he was shockingly eliminated after the first three throws in the final.
The number 8758 is inspired by Chopra's winning throw that sent the javelin to a distance of 87.58 metres.
Star javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra, who scripted history by winning gold at the Tokyo Olympics, pointed out that any sport at the Olympics isn't a one-day event. The 23-year-old said that years of practice and the support of many people have enabled him to achieve the unprecedented milestone.
Chopra's family said the entire village and even people from neighbouring villages had been watching his performance for the past few days on television sets installed at public places.
The iconic sprinter, who was fondly known as the 'Flying Sikh', had often talked about his deep desire to see an Indian win a track and field Olympic medal.
Bindra, who won gold in 10m air rifle shooting at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, told Chopra: "Thanks to you, we have finished our Tokyo endeavour on a great high."
Chopra became only the second Indian to win an individual gold in the Olympics, out-performing the field by some distance to immortalise himself as the first track-and-field medal winner from the country.
BCCI secretary Jay Shah announced cash rewards for India's seven medal winners at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics
With the addition of Chopra's gold on the last day of their competitive schedule, India signed off with seven medals in all, including two silver and four bronze, the last of which was delivered by superstar wrestler Bajrang Punia on the day.
Usha, fondly called the 'Payyoli Express', had made the world realise India's potential in athletics when she missed the bronze medal at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics.
His mother knew that he was hiding the truth but did not scold him. After all, wrestling was in his blood. His father and elder brother, too, were ardent practitioners of the sport.
Chopra's other achievements include gold medals in the 2018 Commonwealth Games and the Asian Games, besides the top finish in the 2017 Asian Championships. He is also a 2018 Arjuna Awardee.
Responding to a follower on Twitter who asked him to gift Chopra the XUV700, Mahindra said, "Yes indeed."
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