Neeraj Chopra, India’s golden boy, represents athletics in the nation. The youthful hero has served as an inspiration for athletes both on and off the pitch. Neeraj Chopra made history on August 27 when he won the gold medal at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest. The other athletes were unable to surpass Neeraj’s performance of 88.17m on his second attempt. Neeraj has won the renowned Diamond League, Asian Games, and Commonwealth Games, as well as the coveted Olympics in a short amount of time. Chopra, who was raised in the hamlet of Khandra in Haryana, began to show promise at a very young age. Scroll down to learn Gurus Of Neeraj Chopra: The Men Behind Indian Athlete’s Win.
Gurus Of Neeraj Chopra
Here is a list of some of those individuals who were able to offer Chpopra some helpful advice throughout the pivotal points in his professional life.
Naseem Ahmed and Jaiveer Singh
Like many other young children in India, Neeraj Chopra had a passion for sports. Jaiveer Singh discovered him while he was a little boy in the Khandra hamlet and taught him the fundamentals of the javelin throwing sport. Neeraj’s passion for the sport was sparked by Jaiveer’s instruction, which would later inspire many.
At the Tau Devi Lal Sports Complex in Panchkula, Naseem Ahmed oversaw Neeraj’s training when he was 14 years old. He received special instruction from Ahmed that improved his comprehension of the sport’s biomechanics.
In an interview with The Indian Express, Naseem Ahmad said, “He made throws with cross legs and had a broad last stride, it gave him the requisite momentum for the last jerk for flawless throws. Starting from throwing with two strides to three strides and five strides, we would progress to a full run-up each day, and it helped him master the landing technique too.”
Kashinath Naik and Gary Calvert
Neeraj Chopra broke the junior world record in 2016 after winning the gold medal at the World U20 Championships in Poland with a throw of 86.48 meters. He was being taught at this time by Coach Gary Calvert and his aide Kashinath Naik. Australian citizen Calvert was instrumental in establishing Chopra’s career. However, he tragically died unexpectedly in 2018 from a heart attack while working as the Chinese national team’s coach in Beijing.
Kashinath Naik, who won a bronze medal in the javelin throw event at the 2010 Commonwealth Games, remembers Chopra as a bright young athlete who, although having a thin build, exuded tremendous intensity throughout his throws.
Chopra trained under the direction of German coach Werner Daniels in advance of the 2018 Commonwealth Games after his productive time with Calvert and Naik. When he won the gold medal in the games, his commitment and hard work were rewarded.
Uwe Hohn
Unquestionably the most famous name in the lineup, Neeraj was taught by German superstar Uwe Hohn between 2017 and 2018. Hohn continues to occupy a special position in sporting history. He is the only person to have ever thrown a javelin further than 100 meters. In Berlin in 1984, Hohn completed this remarkable accomplishment with a spectacular throw of 104.8 meters.
This extraordinary accomplishment prompted a fundamental revision in the javelin’s design in 1986. On the javelin, the center of gravity was moved forward to prevent throws from going beyond the stadium’s capacity. Hohn was expelled from the organization because of his remarks towards the Athletics Federation of India and the Sports Authority of India.
Klaus Bartonietz
Neeraj Chopra created history by winning the nation’s first-ever gold medal in track and field at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. This incredible feat was greatly inspired by Klaus Bartonietz. He took over as Chopra’s coach in late 2019 after Uwe Hohn. Uwe Hohn is another legendary German javelin thrower.
Chopra’s technique had modifications according to the famous biomechanics specialist Bartonietz, which were essential to his Olympic triumph. After Chopra’s triumph, Bartonietz declared him to be the finest in the world, expressing his extreme happiness and pride.
“I can’t believe how happy I am. Neeraj is happy because he not only won a medal but also gold. This makes him the top javelin thrower in the world,” Bartonietz said.
