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India's Tokyo Olympic gold medalist Neeraj Chopra was given a grand welcome at the Sports Authority of India's (SAI) National Institute of Sports (NIS) in Patiala on Wednesday (November 17). The star javelin thrower returned to the NIS to commence his preparations for the upcoming season.
Chopra is back at the NIS after being honored with the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award 2021. At the Tokyo Olympics, he became India's second individual gold medalist after Abhinav Bindra's feat at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
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In the javelin throw final in Tokyo, Neeraj Chopra threw 87.02m in his first attempt. He then bettered his record on his second throw, sending the spear to a distance of 87.58m. The effort was enough for Chopra to bag a gold medal at the prestigious quadrennial Games.
A grand felicitation ceremony was held within the premises of NIS. Along with Chopra, Dronacharya Awardee Radhakrishnan Nair, Chopra's coach Dr. Klaus Bartonietz and all Olympians present at the NIS were also felicitated.
Neeraj Chopra shares his experiences
Neeraj Chopra shared his journey and experiences with the athletes at the NIS. The star javelin thrower also highlighted the role and the support of SAI in his journey. He said:
"I came to NSNIS Patiala in 2015 and was motivated by the players and coaches. It feels like home to be back at NSNIS Patiala."
Also read: 2021 Olympic gold medalist Neeraj Chopra wants to win more silverware for India
Sardar Bahadur Singh (Arjuna Awardee & Padma Shri Awardee) was also present. He highlighted how NIS Patiala has been a pioneer in the promotion of sports and helping bring laurels to the nation.
Chopra was awarded the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award, the highest sporting honor in sports in India, earlier this month for his performance in Tokyo. The javelin thrower, alongside 12 others, was awarded the Khel Ratna Award this year.
