History Created: Athlete Neeraj Chopra Wins Gold at World Athletics Championships 2023

Neeraj Chopra creates history by winning Gold Medal at WAC 2023, while Nadeem from Pakistan won Silver. Deets Inside 

Neeraj Chopra of India and Arshad Nadeem of Pakistan produced a thriller of a match in the early hours of Monday in Budapest, leaving fans on the edge of their seats in the men’s javelin final at World Athletics Championships that ultimately resulted in both the players writing history, while sports fans of the subcontinent prepare for the India versus Pakistan blockbuster in the Asia Cup in cricket.

Neeraj won India’s first-ever gold medal at the World Championships while Nadeem, who came in second, earned Pakistan’s first-ever medal in the competition’s history. The two athletes were separated by less than a metre in the nail-biting race.

After attempting a foul throw to start the summit battle, Neeraj propelled himself to the top of the standings with his best throw of 88.17 metres on his second try. The defending Commonwealth Games champion, Nadeem, overcame a sluggish start to pose a tough challenge with his season-best throw of 87.82 metres in his third try, which instantly saw him move into second place.

Jakub Vadlejch of the Czech Republic won the bronze with the best throw of 86.67 metres as they were tied at the top of the leaderboard right up until the very end.

Neeraj and Nadeem hugged each other after the historic gold medal victory. Nadeem was not included in the picture when the Indian and Jakub afterwards appeared in front of the cameras holding their respective flags, as has become custom. The silver medalist was left holding the Pakistani flag, but Neeraj pulled off a million-dollar ruse by inviting him to join them for photos as they posed with the Indian flag in the background.

For the first time, India sent three athletes to the final. Kishore Jena finished fifth with a best distance of 84.77 metres, while DP Manu placed sixth with a best distance of 84.14 metres. Now, India has medals in every colour, and Neeraj is the proud owner of two of them. At the World Championships the previous year, he had won the silver medal.

Anju Bobby George, who won a bronze medal for the women’s long jump at the 2003 World Championships, was India’s last medallist before he won two. In addition, he won the Asian Championships in 2017 and was crowned junior world champion in 2016.

Congratulatory letters flooded in from all directions as word of Neeraj’s historic victory spread. The Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports of India, Anurag Thakur, who was present at the celebration, praised Neeraj’s achievement as a watershed moment in Indian sporting history. He used social media to convey his joy and admiration for the athlete’s outstanding accomplishment.

Along with other well-wishers, the Indian Army praised Neeraj’s accomplishment. The Indian Army congratulated him on his historic accomplishment on numerous social media channels, recognising it as such.

With his gold medal, Neeraj not only contributes to his individual record but also raises India’s total number of medals from the World Athletics Championships. His first medal overall came in the form of a silver he won earlier in the competition.