Gold and beautiful: Neeraj Chopra's javelin pierces through years of disillusionment at Tokyo

Neeraj first Indian to win yellow metal in track and field, feat raises hopes of sporting revolution
Neeraj Chopra after the throw that gave him an early lead in the men’s javelin final in Tokyo on Saturday. He sealed gold with an effort of 87.58 metres. (Photo| PTI)
Neeraj Chopra after the throw that gave him an early lead in the men’s javelin final in Tokyo on Saturday. He sealed gold with an effort of 87.58 metres. (Photo| PTI)

CHENNAI: Neeraj Chopra. The name will be immortalised in the echelons of Indian sports. The man himself seemed to know it as soon as the throw that brought him gold, left his hand. The way he immediately turned towards the stands, arms raised towards the heavens, betrayed both elation and relief.

Gold in javelin throw! India’s Tokyo 2020 Olympics couldn’t have ended in a better way; two medals — wrestler Bajrang Punia won a bronze 90 minutes before Neeraj’s — in one day. A best-ever haul with seven medals, including a gold. And that gold — in athletics where India has never been able to make a mark — is perhaps the biggest achievement Indian sport has ever witnessed.

The spear Neeraj threw pierced through years of disillusionment that a medal-deprived country had to endure. It sailed over an era of underachievement and inconsequentiality, as dark as the Tokyo sky that silently egged it on, and broke ground in a new land of promise. No matter where you were born or what sport you pursued, the spear carried with it hope and belief.

This is not India’s first individual gold, Abhinav Bindra brought that home 13 years ago. But athletics is the grandest of stages at the Olympics. There are no freak wins here, not in track and field. The legendary Milkha Singh and indomitable PT Usha came close, but a medal never hung around their necks. They lost by the slimmest of margins. Neeraj exorcised those demons.

Like most Olympic athletes, Neeraj is a product of a vibrant hinterland. Hailing from Khandra near Panipat, Neeraj comes from a farming background but not a struggling one. His only target always was to throw the javelin as far as he could. On Saturday, he did just that, with the world being the witness.

Calmness defines Neeraj. But on another level, he is also an amalgamation of human endurance, grit and scientific training. His elbow was sore and he lost the whole of 2019 due to injury and recuperation. He made a comeback and managed to secure an Olympic quota in January last year. 

For Neeraj, postponement of the Tokyo Games was a boon. That extra time gave him opportunity to chisel rough edges. Working closely with Klaus Bartenietz, he focused on his Olympic dream. He went off his phone. No ad shoots or commercial commitments. Like his coaching team says, he was so focused that all these things did not matter to him.

Neeraj’s story is not about building roads or laying electric lines in his village. Nor is it about finding a job. It transcends them all. Maybe one day, when this nation has completed its journey from also-rans to serious challengers in  the sporting world, a future historian will pause on Saturday and assess that this was where it all began. It could very well be the first shot in a sporting revolution. Neeraj has done his bit. Now it’s up to the rest of the nation.

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The New Indian Express
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