₹9-crore cash reward, plot, Class-1 job for Neeraj Chopra
CHANDIGARH: Cash rewards to the tune of Rs 9 crore poured in for star javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra, who on Saturday won India’s first ever track-and-field Olympic medal with a goldmedal winning feat at Tokyo Games.
After Chopra secured India’s second individual gold in Olympic history with a sensational performance, Haryana chief minister ML Khattar and his Punjab counterpart Capt Amarinder Singh announced cash rewards of Rs 6 crore and Rs 2 crore, respectively.
The BCCI also announced that Rs one crore has been reserved for Chopra, who produced a second round throw of 87.58m in the finals to stun the athletics world and end India’s 100-year wait for a track and field medal in the Olympics.
Khattar also announced that Chopra will be made head of upcoming Centre for Excellence in Athletics in Panchkula. “As per our sports policy, Neeraj Chopra will get a cash reward of Rs 6 crore, a Class-I job and a piece of plot of land at concessional rates,” said Khattar.
Amarinder also recognised the stupendous achievement of Chopra and announced a special cash reward of Rs 2 crore in an official statement.
KARNAL: All the nineteen members of Neeraj’s family, along with hundreds of residents of Panipat’s Khandra village, remained glued to a huge television screen installed outside his residence to watch his golden throw at Tokyo Olympics on Saturday. And the entire village erupted in joy as soon as 23-yearold Arjuna Awardee’s javelin hit the ground covering a distance of 87.58 metres.
The atmosphere instantly turned festive as people started distributing sweets and dancing to the beats of drums. Neeraj’s parents — Satish Chopra and Saroj Bala — were soon drowned in garlands. “I am not getting words to explain the happiness; it’s the fruit of his hard work and dedication,” said his father Satish Kumar. “I remember the day when he started his daily practice at Panipat’s Shivaji Stadium which was 20km away,” he added.
“Not only me but the entire country is happy over the performance of my son. I am proud of my son,” said Neeraj’s mother Saroj.
Neeraj’s uncle Bhim Chopra, who supported him throughout his sporting journey, said, “His friend Jaiveer helped him to focus on Javelin. In 2016, he was very disappointed when he could not qualify for the Rio Olympics after throwing 82.37m, just short of the qualifying 83m. But we did not let him lose hope and he worked harder,” he added.
Neeraj belongs to a family of farmers and they live in a joint family of 19 members.
Neeraj had created history in 2016 by becoming the first Indian athlete to bag the title of world champion by clinching the gold medal at the U-20 World Championships in Poland.
He won a gold medal at the 2016 South Asian Games with a throw of 82.23m and won another gold medal in Asian Athletics Championship in 2017 with a throw of 85.23meters. In the 2018 Commonwealth Games, he won a gold medal with his best effort of 86.47 meters. In 2018, he broke the national record at the Doha Diamond League with a throw of 87.43 meters.