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Neeraj Chopra Height, Age, Girlfriend, Family, Biography & More

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Height: 5' 11"
Hometown: Panipat, Haryana
Age: 25 Years

Neeraj Chopra

Bio/Wiki
NicknameNijju [1]Jagran
Profession(s)Javelin Thrower and Junior Commissioned Officer
Physical Stats & More
[2]Hindustan Times Height in centimeters- 180 cm
in meters- 1.80 m
in feet & inches- 5’ 11”
Weight (approx.)in kilograms- 86 kg
in pounds- 189 lbs
Eye ColourBlack
Hair ColourBlack
Javelin Throw
Coach(es)/Mentor(s)• Gary Calvert
• Naseem Ahmad
• Klaus Bartonietz
• Werner Daniels
• Uwe Hohn (personal coach)
Neeraj Chopra with Uwe Hohn
• Raj Kumar (army coach)
Medal(s)Gold Medal
• 2016: South Asian Games in Guwahati, India
• 2016: World U20 Championships in Bydgoszcz, Poland
• 2017: Asian Championships in Bhubaneswar, India
• 2018: Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia
• 2018: Sotteville Athletics Meet in Sotteville-lès-Rouen, France
• 2018: Savo Games in Lapinlahti, Finland
• 2018: Asian Games in Jakarta and Palembang, Indonesia
• 2021: Tokyo Olympics 2020
Neeraj Chopra on winning gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics 2020
• 2023: Lausanne Diamond League
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's tweet after Neeraj Chopra won gold at the 2023 Lausanne Diamond League
• 2023: World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary
Neeraj Chopra after winning gold at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary
• 2023: Asian Games in Hangzhou, China

Silver Medal
• 2016: Asian Junior Championships in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
• 2017: Asian Grand Prix Series in Jinhua, China
• 2017: Asian Grand Prix Series in Jiaxing, China
• 2018: Offenburg Speerwurf Meeting in Offenburg, Germany
• 2022: Paavo Nurmi Games in Finland
• 2022: World Athletics Championships

Bronze Medal
• 2017: Asian Grand Prix Series in Taipei, Taiwan
Records 2018: National Record of 88.06m mark at the Asian Games [3]NDTV Sports
2021: National record of 88.07m mark at the Indian Grand Prix [4]India Today
2022: In June, he set a new national record as he threw 89.30 metres at the Paavo Nurmi Games in Finland. [5]NDTV
2022: On 23 July, he became the second Indian to win a medal at World Athletics Championships after Anju Bobby George. [6]The Times of India
2022: On 8 September, he became the first Indian-ever to win the Diamond League Trophy when he launched his spear to dizzying heights of 88.44m at an overcast Letzigrund stadium in Zurich. [7]The Times of India
2023: Neeraj made history by winning India's first-ever gold medal at the World Athletics Championships by covering a distance of 88.77 m; he got a cash prize of $70,000 (about Rs. 56 lakhs).
Awards, Honours, Achievements 2017: Hindustan Times Top 30 under 30 awarded by Captain Amarinder Singh
2018: Arjuna Award
Neeraj Chopra receiving Arjuna Award
2020: Vishisht Seva Medal (VSM)
2021: Sportstar ACES Award- Sportsman of the Decade (Track and Field)
Neeraj Chopra with his ACES Award
2021: Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award
2022: Padma Shri (Sports)
2022: On 2nd February, he was nominated for the prestigious Laureus 'World Breakthrough of the Year' award, making him only the third Indian to fetch a Laureus nomination after cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar and wrestler Vinesh Phogat. [8]The Hindu
Personal Life
Date of Birth24 December 1997 (Wednesday)
Age (as of 2022) 25 Years
BirthplaceKhandra Village, Panipat District, Haryana
Zodiac signCapricorn
NationalityIndian
HometownKhandra Village, Panipat District, Haryana
College/University• DAV College, Chandigarh
• Kurukshetra University, Haryana
Educational QualificationGraduation (correspondence) [9]The Times of India [10]Hindustan Times
EthnicityRor Maratha [11]Hindustan Times
Food HabitVegetarian turned Non-vegetarian [12]Hindustan Times
Relationships & More
Marital StatusUnmarried
Family
ParentsFather- Satish Kumar Chopra (works as a farmer)
Neeraj Chopra's father
Mother- Saroj Devi
Neeraj Chopra's mother
SiblingsSister(s)- Sangeeta and Sarita
Neeraj Chopra's sister, Sangeeta
Favourites
Javelin ThrowerJan Zelezny
Singer(s)Rajender Kharkia and KD
FilmRocky series, Laal Rang (2016)
ActorAkshay Kumar, Randeep Hooda
Virtual Game(s)Javelin Master 2, Brothers in Arms, and Asphaltate
Style Quotient
Car Collection• XUV700 (gifted by Mahindra and Mahindra after his 2020 Tokyo Olympics win)
• Range Rover Velar (bought in July 2023)
Neeraj Chopra with his Range Rover Velar
Bike CollectionHe is a bike enthusiast, and his bike collection range from Harley Davidson 1200 Roadster to Pulsar 200F. [13]Hindustan Times

Neeraj Chopra

Some Lesser Known Facts About Neeraj Chopra

  • Neeraj Chopra is an Indian athlete who represents India in the javelin throw. He is ranked as Junior Commissioned Officer (Subedar) in the Indian Army.
  • He lives in a joint family with more than 17 other members in Panipat, Haryana. In his childhood, he used to be a chubby kid and used to wear a white kurta-pyjama. His village people used to call him Sarpanch. [14]Amar Ujala
  • In an interview, when he was asked how he developed an interest in the javelin, he replied,

    As an obese child, at the age of 11, I weighed 80 kilos. To get into shape, I visited the Panipat Stadium during vacations. My pocket money was about Rs 30 and many days I didn’t even have money for a glass of juice. I travelled by bus for about 17 kilometres to reach the stadium and returned with my uncle who worked in Panipat city. Although I was running to shed weight, I didn’t particularly enjoy it. I used to stand at some distance and watch my senior Jaiveer, who has represented Haryana in javelin, practice. One day, at his behest, I tried the javelin. I discovered I could throw it far and the realisation helped me regain my self-esteem.”

    Neeraj Chopra's childhood image

    Neeraj Chopra’s childhood image

  • In an interview, Neeraj shared that his family and village people supported him, and his uncle Bheem Singh encouraged him to make his career in the javelin. He further talked about the lack of facilities in his village for a sportsperson. He said,

    I left home when I was 14, owing to a lack of facilities. My formal education was disturbed after class 9. My dream is that villagers need not shift to a city the way I shifted to Panchkula. Athletes from Haryana are winning at the national, international and Olympics level but my village still does not have a playground. Whenever I stay there, I need to practice on the road. If we are to become an Olympian nation, every village should have a stadium and get coaches from the National Institute of Sports, Patiala, where I now train.”

    Neeraj Chopra's grandfather and uncle

    Neeraj Chopra’s grandfather and uncle

  • During an interview, Neeraj’s father shared that Neeraj was a mischievous kid. He further said,

    As a child, Neeraj used to twist the tails of buffaloes. Sometimes he used to harass the elderly by bursting crackers. The whole family was troubled by his words. Feeling proud to see a star adorned on my son’s shoulder. His father Satish Kumar said they had a joint family of 17. Neeraj was their eldest son. During his gym sessions in Panipat, Neeraj started visiting Shivaji Stadium. It was there that he came in contact with javelin thrower Jaiveer from Binjhol.”

  • Neeraj started his training in the javelin at the Sports Authority of India (SAI), Panchkula, Haryana, and due to lack of proper facilities, he continued his training at the Tau Devi Lal Stadium in Panchkula, Haryana.

    Neeraj Chopra after his practicing session

    Neeraj Chopra after his practising session

  • During an interview, Neeraj shared that his senior Jaiveer Choudhary was the first person to recognise Neeraj’s skills and talent as a javelin thrower and helped him in his training. He further said,

    There were very few facilities to practise javelin in Panipat, the least of them the mud track that we ran on. When I decided to resume training seriously, I shifted to a sports nursery in Panchkula. I was 14. I practised on a synthetic track for the first time and got to train with athletes who were playing at the national level. I played my first junior nationals in Lucknow in 2012 and broke the national record with a throw of 68.46 metres.”

  • During an interview, while remembering the initial days of Neeraj’s practising session, his then coach Naseem Ahmad said,

    He’d sit with his notebook and take tips from them. He would never shy away from training and would always set targets of winning each day’s round with the group. To see him win the gold medal today on the biggest stage is the greatest joy for us. And I am sure he will be spending time with the javelin throwers from the other countries just like he did here with his seniors and friends post-training or competition.”

  • After years of training, he participated in various national and international javelin throw competitions and brought laurels to the nation. He has won various medals in competitions like Asian Games, Commonwealth Games, and Asian Championships. In an interview, he shared how he felt about winning a medal. He said,

    After the youth nationals at Guntur where I won silver, I was selected for the World Youth Championships in Ukraine. In 2015, I was chosen for the National Games in Kerala. For the first time, in the camp, I got to practise with better-quality javelins, used internationally. Inferior quality javelins are heavier and can lead to injury: those with better material travel longer in the air. I threw it to a distance of 73.45 metres. In the same games, Rajinder Singh, my senior from Haryana, created a national record with a distance of 82.23.”

    Neeraj Chopra while practicing javelin

    Neeraj Chopra while practicing javelin

  • In 2016, on winning the U-20 World Championship and making a national record, the CEO of Facebook Mark Zuckerberg congratulated him on social media. [15]Hindustan Times
  • He was appointed as a Junior Commissioned Officer (NaibSubedar rank) in the Indian Army in 2016  in the parent unit 4 Rajputana Rifles. Later, he was selected for training at the Mission Olympics Wing and the Army Sports Institute in Pune. He was then promoted from the Naib Subedar rank to Subedar rank.

    Subedar Neeraj Chopra in uniform

    Subedar Neeraj Chopra in uniform

  • He was selected as the flag bearer of India at the Asian Games 2018.
  • He underwent surgery in 2019 due to an injury in his right elbow at the 68th All India Inter-Services Athletics in 2018.
  • On 31 March 2020, he donated Rs. 2 lakh in the PM Cares Fund amid the coronavirus pandemic.
  • He represented India at the Tokyo Olympics 2020 in javelin throw which was held in 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic. During an interview, Neeraj’s uncle shared that Neeraj had kept his phone off for a year before the Tokyo Olympics 2020 to avoid any distraction.
  • On 7 August 2021, he won a gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics 2020 with a mark of 87.58 m and became the first Indian to win a gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics 2020. On winning the gold medal, he became the first Indian to win a gold medal in athletics. He is the second Indian who has won a gold medal in the Olympics after the Indian shooter Abhinav Bindra.

  • On his victory, the BCCI head announced a cash reward of Rs. 1 crore. The CM of Haryana Manohar Lal Khattar rewarded him with a cash prize of Rs. 6 crores and a Grade 1 job in the Haryana Government. Later, the CM of Punjab Captain Amarinder Singh rewarded him with Rs. 2 crores on his victory. He dedicated his gold medal to the legendary Indian athlete Milkha Singh.

Neeraj Chopra has proven that when there is the WILL there is a way. He has done the Armed Forces and the Nation proud like many other Olympians who have created history in TOKYO 2020.”

  • He chopped off his long hair before the Tokyo Olympics 2020 so they may not cause any trouble to him while practicing javelin throw.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Neeraj Chopra (@neeraj____chopra)

  • During an interview, Neeraj talked about his cheat meal, he said,

    If after I win I want to have a cheat meal, I’ll usually eat something sweet. I usually restrict the number of sweets I eat normally so when I get the chance to have a cheat meal, I’ll usually eat a lot of sweets. I don’t even care what kind of sweets they are. What I really like is fresh homemade churma (crushed roti with sugar and ghee). It has a lot of ghee and sugar, so it’s something we can’t eat during training so it’s something I really enjoy.”

  • He loves travelling on a motorcycle, and he owns a Harley Davidson motorcycle.

    Neeraj Chopra posing on his motorcycle

    Neeraj Chopra posing on his motorcycle

  • He has been featured in the print advertisements of Amstrad, an electronic company.

    Neeraj Chopra in a print advertisement of Amstrad

    Neeraj Chopra in a print advertisement of Amstrad

  • Neeraj Chopra loves animals and often shares pictures with them on his social media accounts.

    Neeraj Chopra holding puppies

    Neeraj Chopra holding puppies

  • In September 2021, a CRED commercial went viral on the internet in which Neeraj Chopra showed his acting skills in various avatars.

  • On 28 October 2022, Marvel Studios released a promotional video featuring Neeraj Chopra for their upcoming superhero movie ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.’

  • Neeraj Chopra won India’s first gold medal at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in the men’s javelin throw; he covered a distance of 88.77 m with the throw.
  • He became the brand ambassador for ‘Noise’ in September 2023.

    Neeraj Chopra's Instagram post after becoming the brand ambassador for the brand 'Noise' in 2023

    Neeraj Chopra’s Instagram post after becoming the brand ambassador for the brand ‘Noise’ in 2023

  • Neeraj Chopra participated in the 2023 Asian Games, held in Hangzhou, China. He gave his season-best throw of 88.88m which led him to win the gold medal in the men’s javelin throw competition at the event. [16]India Today

    Neeraj Chopra waved the national flag after winning gold at the 2023 Asian Games

    Neeraj Chopra waved the national flag after winning gold at the 2023 Asian Games