Chopra, who hails from the northern Indian state of Haryana, was an overweight 12-year-old boy who was persistently persuaded by his family members to take up sports - possibly to help him shed a few pounds.
He ultimately gave in and began training at the Shivaji Stadium in Panipat and it was not until he saw a few senior athletes throwing javelins at the stadium that he decided to put his arm and shoulder into the sport.
Chopra went on to win the Asian Games and Commonwealth Games gold in 2018 before an injury to his throwing arm and the COVID-19 pandemic kept him sidelined for nearly two years.
But he used the time to iron out chinks in his technique, qualifying for Tokyo with a throw of 87.86m last year and posting a personal best of 88.07 in March this year.
The mop-haired former world junior champion was worried about the lack of competition leading into Tokyo but it did not ultimately matter.
Accolades and a lot of cash awards - the university where he is doing his graduation was one of the first to announce a prize purse - will pour in for Chopra over the next few weeks.
But despite the highs of the night, it was another below-par Olympic outing for his country, who finished with a single gold, two silver and four bronze medals in Tokyo.
Cricket dwarfs every other sport in India but Chopra, with his Bollywood looks and shiny new medal, will walk into the night dreaming that he could be the face of change.
"wait" - Google News
August 07, 2021 at 11:25PM
https://ift.tt/3jBx2VQ
Chopra ends India's long wait for glory with javelin gold - NBC Olympics
"wait" - Google News
https://ift.tt/35qAU4J
https://ift.tt/2Ssyayj
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "Chopra ends India's long wait for glory with javelin gold - NBC Olympics"
Post a Comment