Neeraj Chopra, a renowned javelin thrower, once again brought honor to his country as he became the first Indian to win a gold medal at the World Athletics Championships on August 27. Neeraj launched a rocket on his second attempt while competing against some of the top athletes in the world. In the men’s javelin throw final in Budapest, Hungary, Neeraj overcame his peak with a winning throw of 88.17 meters, turning his silver medal from the previous competition into a gleaming gold. Numerous cricketers expressed their congratulations for his extraordinary achievement in Budapest on their social media accounts after he made news of winning the gold medal. Scroll down to read Indian cricketers hail golden boy Neeraj Chopra.
For the uninitiated, Neeraj’s countrymen Kishore Jena and DP Manu put out great performances at the competition but finished fifth and sixth, respectively, failing to reach the podium.
Neeraj’s matchup with Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem turned the final into an exciting thriller.
While Arshad recorded a season-best distance of 87.82 meters on his third try, Neeraj displayed steely grit to win the gold. With this, the accomplished javelin thrower tied Abhinav Bindra’s exceptional record of simultaneously holding an Olympic medal and a medal at a World Championship.
With that stated, let’s look at some of the players’ social media postings in honor of Neeraj’s achievement:
Indian Cricketers Hail Golden Boy Neeraj Chopra
Neeraj’s perfect throw of 88.17 meters on his second attempt displayed his skill level and unwavering commitment. Former Indian cricketers Virender Sehwag, Kapil Dev, and Gautam Gambhir utilized social media to express their gratitude for the historic victory.
“Fenkon toh aise fenko ki chaar log bole Kya fekta hai yaar. 88.17 meter door Bhaala phenka and a World Athletics Championship Gold for our Champion #NeerajChopra. The mega run continues,” Sehwag said on X (previously known as Twitter).
Checkout Indian cricketers praising posts for the golden boy:
Congratulations @Neeraj_chopra1 on winning Gold at the World Athletics Championships.
— Anil Kumble (@anilkumble1074) August 28, 2023
Congratulations @Neeraj_chopra1! Another outstanding achievement, another glorious moment 🥇 pic.twitter.com/i8mBg0QCVP
— hardik pandya (@hardikpandya7) August 28, 2023
India celebrates its first Gold at the World Athletics Championship! 🥇 Kudos to the ever-inspiring @Neeraj_chopra1 for raising the bar yet again. Congratulations! #WorldAthleticsChampionship pic.twitter.com/NRrB6dvgpN
— Yusuf Pathan (@iamyusufpathan) August 28, 2023
A remarkable athlete. A true Champion who saves his best for the biggest occasions time after time. Take a bow. #NeerajChopra 🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/frNb8aGnfI
— Ravi Shastri (@RaviShastriOfc) August 28, 2023
Making India proud! Congratulations on winning the gold at the World Athletics Championships @Neeraj_chopra1 bhai 🇮🇳🫡🥇 pic.twitter.com/jnucNiJPPo
— Yuzvendra Chahal (@yuzi_chahal) August 28, 2023
First Indian Athlete to win a Gold Medal at the World Athletics Championships !!🥇🇮🇳 Proud Moment @Neeraj_chopra1 👏👏 pic.twitter.com/eWAOSGdnX0
— S.Badrinath (@s_badrinath) August 28, 2023
Fenkon toh aise fenko ki chaar log bole Kya fekta hai yaar.
88.17 mtr door Bhaala phenka and a World Athletics Championship Gold for our Champion #NeerajChopra . The mega run continues .pic.twitter.com/9TOFl4P6uM
— Virender Sehwag (@virendersehwag) August 28, 2023
First Indian to win Gold at World Athletics Championship 🙌🏽 Golden boy makes us proud once again, congratulations @Neeraj_chopra1 🥇#WorldAthleticsChampionship pic.twitter.com/A7qske4B7m
— Wasim Jaffer (@WasimJaffer14) August 28, 2023
We all love Gold but Neeraj Chopra Adores it… entire nation is proud of you brother @Neeraj_chopra1 pic.twitter.com/DcZNWPtVs0
— Irfan Pathan (@IrfanPathan) August 28, 2023
Gold for our diamond!🥇🇮🇳#NeerajChopra #WorldAthleticsChampionship pic.twitter.com/dM3qi6NANF
— Gautam Gambhir (@GautamGambhir) August 27, 2023
AND HE HAS DONE IT!! 🇮🇳🇮🇳@Neeraj_chopra1 creates HISTORY 🔥🔥🔥
✨ Neeraj becomes 1st EVER 🇮🇳 ATHLETE to win GOLD 🥇 medal in Athletics World Championships.
THE ENTIRE NATION IS PROUD OF YOU NEERAJ!! 🥇#Budapest2023 pic.twitter.com/KsZ2fKTSoN
— MANOJ TIWARY (@tiwarymanoj) August 27, 2023
What a champ! Congratulations @neeraj_chopra1 on being crowned the World Champion 👏🏾 We are proud of you.
— Robbie Uthappa (@robbieuthappa) August 28, 2023
The current Commonwealth Games champion from Pakistan, Arshad Nadeem, won the silver medal with a respectable season-best throw of 87.82 meters. Czech Republic athlete Jakub Vadlejch received the bronze medal. With his triumph, Chopra joins shooter Abhinav Bindra as the only athlete from India to capture both the Olympic and World Championships championships, a feat shared by just two other javelin throwers worldwide.
Chopra, a 25-year-old spectacular athlete, stunned the world by becoming the first Indian to win an Olympic gold medal in track and field at the 2021 Tokyo Games. This most recent victory solidifies his position as one of India’s brightest lights in the world of athletics. His outstanding list of honors already includes gold medals from the Asian Games, Commonwealth Games, individual victories at Diamond League Meetings, and the Asian Championships.
Also read, Gurus Of Neeraj Chopra: The Men Behind Indian Athlete’s Win