My Son is the One who Received Gold

Panipat:

Neeraj Chopra’s father, Satish Kumar, was delighted by his son’s exceptional effort that led him to make history at the Paris Olympics after securing the silver medal in the men’s javelin throw final at Stade de France.

When the stakes were high in one of the largest sporting events, it was Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem who elevated the standard by breaking the Olympic Record with an enormous throw in front of a packed audience.

Neeraj produced his best performance of the season with a throw of 89.45m, but it fell short of Arshad’s colossal 92.97 meters throw.

Prior to the Paris Olympics, Neeraj had faced challenges with injuries. The groin injury that troubled him in 2023 and led him to miss the Commonwealth Games resurfaced in early May after he experienced discomfort in his adductor.

Satish, who was pleased after witnessing Neeraj’s performance and believed it was Pakistan’s day in the men’s javelin throw final, thought that his injury impacted his performance.

“Every individual has their moment. Today belonged to Pakistan. Nevertheless, we have secured silver, and it is a source of pride for us. I believe his groin injury played a role in his performance,” Satish shared with ANI.

His father is confident that Neeraj’s triumph in Paris will serve as a motivation for the upcoming generation.

“He has earned silver for the nation. We are thrilled and proud. All the young people will be inspired by him,” Satish told journalists.

A large screen was set up for the residents of Neeraj’s locality, and they turned up in large numbers to witness Neeraj’s performance in Paris.

After his victory, sweets were distributed among the people, and fireworks were set off to celebrate India’s first silver and fifth overall at the Paris Olympics.

Neeraj’s mother Saroj Devi was pleased with her son’s performance at the Summer Games and is excited to prepare her son’s preferred meal.

“We are very pleased. To us, silver is just as precious as gold. The individual who secured the gold is also like a son to us. Since he was injured, we are content with his performance. I will cook his favorite dish,” she expressed.

#WATCH | Haryana: On Neeraj Chopra winning a silver medal in men’s javelin throw at #ParisOlympics2024, his mother Saroj Devi says, “We are very happy, for us silver is also equal to gold…he was injured, so we are happy with his performance…” pic.twitter.com/6VxfMZD0rF

— ANI (@ANI) August 8, 2024

Neeraj’s grandfather, Dharm Singh Chopra, also responded to his grandson’s victory and stated, “He has delivered his finest performance and secured silver, adding another medal to the country.”

To defend his Tokyo gold medal, Neeraj had to accomplish what he has yet to achieve in his career, surpassing the 90m mark.

After Arshad caused a stir in the athletics community with an Olympic Record throw of 92.97m, Neeraj had to delve deep and produce his most outstanding performance to date.

However, he struggled to find his rhythm and only managed one legal throw out of six, which happened to be his best throw of the season.

Arshad effortlessly surpassed the 90m mark with his javelin to deliver one of the greatest track and field performances in Olympic history. He shattered the Olympic record in his second attempt and concluded his impressive display with an exceptional throw of 91.79m to claim the gold.