Neeraj Chopra given grand reception by Indian Army on return from Diamond League, see pics

The Indian Army on Thursday felicitated Tokyo Olympic gold medallist Neeraj Chopra for his historic win at the 2022 Diamond League Finals. Chopra became the first Indian to win the prestigious Diamond League Finals title last month after he finished on top of the podium in the javelin throw event. The 24-year-old won the title with a throw of 88.44m, which came in his second attempt. 

Chopra was accorded a grand welcome at Rajputana Rifles Regimental Centre in New Delhi upon his return from Switzerland after winning the Diamond League trophy. Chopra was also felicitated by Lt Gen CP Cariappa, Colonel of the Rajputana Rifles Regiment. The official Twitter handle of the Indian Army shared a few pictures showing how Chopra was welcomed at Rajputana Rifles Regimental Centre. 

Chopra in 2022 Diamond League

As far as Chopra's performance in the 2022 Diamond League is concerned, the Olympic gold medalist began the event with a foul but jumped to the top spot with a throw of 88.44m in his second attempt. It was also Chopra's fourth-best throw of his career. He had 88.00m, 86.11m, 87.00m and 83.60m in his next four throws, however, his second attempt of 88.44m eventually turned out to be his winning effort. 

Meanwhile, Olympic silver medallist Jakub Vadlejch of the Czech Republic finished in second place with a best throw of 86.94m which he registered in his fourth attempt. Julian Weber of Germany completed the podium with a best of 83.73m. As for the 24-year-old Indian superstar, he is now the Olympic champion, World Championships silver medallist and Diamond League champion, all of which he has achieved in just 13 months.

This was Chopra's third appearance at the Diamond League as he had previously participated in the competition in 2017 and 2018, respectively. Following his victory at the 2022 Diamond League, Chopra was awarded a trophy, USD 30,000 prize money and a wild card for the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary.

Image: Twitter/@adgpi