Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has praised Neeraj Chopra’s silver medal win in the Men’s javelin throw at the Paris Olympics 2024. Singh lauded Chopra’s hard work, saying he is “the epitome of hard work, dedication and consistency.” He added, “His success has delighted the entire nation.”
Chopra recorded a season-best throw of 89.45 meters. Despite this, he fell short of gold and had to settle for silver. Chopra, who had thrown 89.34 meters in the qualifiers, had hoped for a second consecutive gold. However, Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem outperformed him with an Olympic Record throw of 92.97 meters.
Also Read: Odisha CM Mohan Majhi Announces Cash Rewards For Indian Hockey Team
Chopra’s previous throw of 87.58 meters won him gold in Tokyo. In the final, Chopra’s best throw came on his second attempt. He started with a foul and didn’t seem convincing in other throws. Anderson Peters from Grenada took bronze with a throw of 88.54 meters.
This silver medal is historic for India. Chopra is only the second male Indian and third overall to win back-to-back Olympic medals. Wrestlers Sushil Kumar and PV Sindhu are the others who have achieved this feat.
Chopra’s silver is India’s fifth medal at the Paris Games, adding to the tally of one silver and four bronze medals.