Anilava Chatterjee, Tokyo: Tokyo Olympics gold medallist Neeraj Chopra wants to keep himself grounded despite achieving one of the greatest feats that an athlete can dream of. Neeraj became the first Indian athlete to win a medal (gold) from track and field event at the Tokyo Olympics. It took almost 100 years for someone to win a medal for the country from athletics. In an exclusive chat with Xtra Time, Neeraj shared his feelings on winning the gold.
“I cannot express my feeling at the moment. I have my full respect for those legendary athletes who have put their best for the country to win a medal. It is for their contributions the current generation is working harder. They have been a constant source of inspiration for us,” Neeraj said to Xtra Time.
Neeraj dedicated his medal to late Milkha Singh who has been an inspiration for the athletes in the country.
According to Neeraj, “It was in my mind that if I could win a medal at Tokyo Olympics. It has been his dream to win a medal for the country. He would have been the happiest person to know that I have won gold.”
He added, “I would have loved to go and meet him personally with the medal. But that is not going to happen now as he has left us. But somewhere he is watching us and smiling.”
Another legendary athlete PT Usha missed a medal at 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. PT Usha also expressed her happiness over a tweet.
“Both Milkha Singh ji and PT Usha ji were great sporting icons and role models for us. They missed winning a medal by a whisker which they must have dreamt of. I think this medal will make them feel happy,” Neeraj said.
Neeraj had a career threatening elbow injury. He had to undergo a surgery as well. Sharing his thoughts about those tough days, Neeraj said, “It was tough. Injuries are a curse for any sportsmen as it hampers the fitness both mentally and physically. It does get tough to come back from injuries. The surgery went off pretty well. It was because of the prayers and good wishes of everyone that I was able to make a comeback.
He also thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for calling him personally and sharing his happiness.
“Prime Minister thanked me and said that the entire nation is proud of you. I felt very nice to talk to him.”
Lastly, on being asked if there is a bio pic on him what name should he prefer to be kept, Neeraj said, “I have not thought about it. I am here because of javelin. Javelin ka jarur naam hona chahiye us mein. Let’s see.”