Ever since his breakout performance of winning a gold medal at the Asian Games in 2018, javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra has been the toast of India, having gone from strength to strength.
Get the latest sports betting odds here!
After experiencing success in various junior championships at the national, continental and world level Neeraj followed up his Asian Games gold with a Commonwealth Games one, before securing top spot at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. He completed the set of major athletics championships in 2023, when he won gold at the World Championships in Budapest.
Despite all the plaudits and accolades, however, Neeraj's journey until this point has not been entirely straightforward.
How Neeraj Chopra went from a chubby kid to Olympic champion
Speaking on the Fit India Movement podcast, Neeraj opened up on his struggles with weight as a child, and how taking up sports helped him overcome them. He said,
When I was younger, I weighed about 75-80 kg and I was short as well. My entire body, arms, legs, were quite thick. So of course people said I was fat, and I was not agile while playing sports either. But I never felt down about it mentally, just that I knew I had to improve.
But my uncle, who was very fond of sports pushed me to take up some kind of physical activity. He took me to the stadium, and my life changed there. I did fitness well, and after that I don't know how but I decided I wanted to take up javelin. Then within a year or two I competed at state level, then national level and it became a professional career.
While success may have come quickly, Neeraj attributed much of it to his love for the sport, saying that he used to train with all his heart. He said, "If you know as soon as you wake up, what training you have to do then the fun of it is on another level."
He ended the segment by expessing his pride for his journey, and saying that he wished to serve as an inspiration for overwight children in India, urging them not to lose their hope or self-confidence.
Staying mentally strong - the Neeraj Chopra way
Neeraj also touched upon some of the finer points of an athlete's performance, such as the mental strength required to compete at the very highest level. He said, "Of course there are many people watching, but the main thing is to compete with yourself."
"For example, I started javelin training in 2011, and reached the Olympics in 2021. So if it has taken 10 years to reach that point, you don't want to lose that opportunity in one day, just because of pressure or anything. Make full use of your opportunity. Even if you don't win a medal for whatever reason, you should be happy with your performance."
If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. Learn more >