'Neeraj Chopra has made India & Armed Forces proud': CDS General Bipin Rawat

'Neeraj Chopra has proven that when there is a will there is a way,' said Chief of Defence Staff, General Bipin Rawat on Saturday, 7 August 2021, as he congratulated the star athlete on his historic victory at the Tokyo Olympics. In a proud moment for India and the Armed forces, Neeraj Chopra, a serving soldier of the Indian Army, scripted history by winning the nation's first-ever Olympic Gold medal. 

"Neeraj has done the Armed Forces and the Nation proud like many other Olympians who have created history at the Olympics," the Indian army quoted CDS Rawat in a tweet. 

The Army Chief exuded confidence that the world champion will continue to reach greater heights in the years to follow and inspire other sportspersons to bring bigger laurels and a greater honour to our nation.

Indian track and field Athlete Neeraj Chopra on Saturday scripted history at the Tokyo Olympics as he won India's first gold medal in athletics. The 23-year-old star javelin thrower from Khandra village in Haryana's Panipat produced a second-round throw of 87.58m in the finals, stunning the athletics world. 

Neeraj Chopra's A-game at Olympics

Neeraj Chopra brought his A-game from the first round itself, breaking his qualification record with an 87.03-metre throw. In his second and third throw, Chopra marked 87.58 m and 76.79 m respectively. In the second round, Chopra's first two throws were foul and the final throw was around 84 m. 

With this, the country surpassed the previous best haul of six medals achieved in the 2012 London Games. Czech Republic Throwers Jakub Vadlejch (86.67m) and Vitezslav Vesely (85.44m) took the silver and bronze respectively. 

A farmer's son from Khandra village near Panipat in Haryana who took up athletics to shed flab, Neeraj Chopra bagged the elusive medal, which the likes of late Milkha Singh and PT Usha lost from their grasp in 1964 and 1984.