Published By: Sayan Guha

79 Years of Indian Sports: Why Neeraj Chopra Took Up the Javelin – An Unexpected Tale!

How an overweight village boy stumbled into a sport that would make him a symbol of modern Indian sporting greatness

August has always been India's month of reflection. It is a time to honour hard-won freedoms and the achievements that followed. Some of those victories were scripted in political chambers. Others were carved on sporting fields across the world.

One such story began not with a dream of Olympic glory, but with a weight problem. In the dusty lanes of Khandra, a small village in Haryana's Panipat district, a boy destined to be a farmer saw his future altered by chance - and a long spear of steel and fibre.

The boy who did not like running

Born in December 1997, Neeraj Chopra grew up in a joint family of 19 members. By age 11, he weighed nearly 90 kilograms. This worried his father, Satish Kumar, a humble farmer. The solution seemed straightforward: fitness. Neeraj was sent to a gym in nearby Madlauda. However, the weight machines and regimented drills failed to motivate him. His dislike for running made athletics appear an unlikely path.

It was a casual trip to Panipat's Shivaji Stadium that changed everything. While wandering near the track, he saw a group of athletes practising with javelins. The arc of the spear in flight caught his imagination. Without understanding the technicalities, he was attracted to the sheer elegance of the throw. That fascination ignited a fire that no treadmill could extinguish.

Credit: ANI

A family's commitment to a fragile dream

Pursuing the javelin was not easy. Specialist coaching, proper diet, and travel to competitions were costly for a farming family. Nevertheless, his father chose to bear the burden, cutting expenses and relying on the support of the extended family. His uncles, cousins, and neighbours in Khandra supported Neeraj's ambition as if it were their own. They encouraged him at every stage.

The breakthrough came in 2017. Neeraj was recruited into the Indian Army as a junior commissioned officer. The salary and training facilities provided him with stability. They gave him the ability to focus completely on improving his skills.

Credit: News Bytes

From raw talent to global champion

Neeraj's rise was rapid. In 2016, at the World U20 Championships, he threw 86.48 metres. This is still the junior world record. He became the first Indian athlete to set a world record in athletics. His medals came quickly: gold at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, gold at the 2018 and 2022 Asian Games, and a Diamond League title.

Tokyo Olympic 2020, postponed to 2021, became his defining stage. His 87.58m throw made him India's first-ever Olympic champion in athletics. He was also the youngest Indian to win an individual gold on debut.

Credit: Britanica

He added the 2023 World Championship gold - the first Asian to do so in javelin. He also won silver at Paris 2024, making him one of the few Indians with multiple individual Olympic medals.

Since mid-2021, Chopra has secured 24 consecutive podium finishes. He has never finished below second place in any major event. He has excelled in Olympic and World Championship qualifying rounds and finals. He has demonstrated precision, composure, and tactical brilliance.

An Independence Month Reflection

Why Neeraj Chopra took up the javelin is a story of happenstance. He was an overweight child sent to lose weight who discovered his calling by accident. But it is also a story of a nation's potential. This potential is unlocked through support, sacrifice, and the belief that greatness can emerge from anywhere.