, To preserve the integrity of the Indian flag, Olympian Neeraj Chopra declined to sign it and instead signed the fan’s sleeves. Neeraj Chopra is a legend, an ally, and a role model in every way. He easily qualifies as one of India’s all-time greatest athletes based only on his achievements with the javelin.
But it is his conduct off the pitch that elevates him to a level that only a select few can hope to, much alone attain. With an 88.17m throw in the men’s javelin final in Budapest, Hungary, Neeraj became the first Indian to win gold at the World Athletics Championships. Neeraj also won hearts with numerous gestures both during and after the competition.
The other two Indians competing in the men’s javelin final, DP Manu and Kishore Jena, were also congratulated by Neeraj for their accomplishments. In the post-event celebration, Neeraj invited Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem, who had won the silver medal, to join him and Czech Republic’s Jakub Vadlejch, who had won the bronze. Although Neeraj urged him to participate in the celebration even without a Pakistan flag, Nadeem was hunting for one. They each gave each other hugs as well.
Olympian Neeraj Chopra wins hearts:
A very sweet Hungarian lady (who spoke excellent Hindi btw) wanted a Neeraj Chopra autograph. Neeraj said sure but then realised she meant on the 🇮🇳 flag. 'Waha nahi sign kar sakta' Neeraj tells her. Eventually he signed her shirt sleeve. She was pretty happy all the same. pic.twitter.com/VhZ34J8qH5
— jonathan selvaraj (@jon_selvaraj) August 28, 2023
Neeraj continued acting like a statesman after that. The Olympic champion, who has already won every continental and international javelin throw championship, was only 25 years old and saved his best performance for last.
A Hungarian woman allegedly requested Neeraj for his autograph while he was in Budapest, according to Sportstar journalist Jonathan Selvaraj. The world champion, who is also one of just two Indians to finish on the podium in the world championships and the only one with two medals, including gold, graciously declined after learning that she wanted his signature on the Indian national flag.
He said, “Can’t sign there; waha nahi kar sakta.” However, Neeraj wasn’t the one to let a fan down. Instead, he inscribed on her sleeves. Notably, the Flag Code of India 2002 forbids the use of any type of inscription on the Indian national flag.
“The World Champions are tougher than the Olympics,” according to Neeraj, who also confirmed his participation in next year’s Paris Olympics. Moreover, The World Championships is a prestigious title, and the Olympics were particularly unique. The World Championships are always more challenging than the Olympics in terms of competition. All the athletes are prepared for this
Neeraj added, “There were many visitors from India, and the local population was very supportive. This victory is unique. Also performing well, Kishore Jena and DP Manu came in fifth and sixth, respectively. Our athletics are developing. However, we also have a tonne of work to do. I discussed the Mondo recordings with Adille Sir, the AFI president, in the hopes that we would also have them in India. In the upcoming years, we’ll perform even better.”
So, this was all about the Olympian Neeraj Chopra. Also read, Bollywood cheers for Neeraj Chopra’s new win!
