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Anilava Chatterjee, Tokyo: Golden boy of Indian athletics Neeraj Chopra has dedicated his gold medal to late legendary Milkha Singh. Neeraj made history at Tokyo Olympics on Saturday as the javelin thrower won gold in javelin throw at the National Stadium in Tokyo. It was the first medal for independent India in athletics.

“When I was in Portugal, Milkha Singh ji passed away. I haven’t met him before and it was my wish to go and meet him with the Olympic medal. I am sad he is no more with us. But I am sure he will be smiling from somewhere to see me win this medal for the country. It was his dream to see a medal in athletics.”

Neeraj also remembered another legendary athlete PT Usha who missed a medal at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics by a whisker.

According to Neeraj, “Another athelete PT Usha ji also missed a medal by few seconds. She will also be happy definitely,”

Neeraj threw an astonishing 87.58m in his second throw. On being asked what was going through his mind after the second throw, he said, “I felt it will be my personal best but I don’t know what happened, may be the throw was a bit too high. Until the scoreboard showed the distance I thought it was my personal best. The most important thing was to become the Olympic champion which I am now.”

Neeraj shared he was quite charged up in the morning today.

“I went to bed around 12:30pm and I woke up at 5:30am. I tried to sleep again but couldn’t. After having my breakfast I tried to sleep for an hour. I was quite charged up when I woke up.”

“I have never thought about anything like this. All I planned was to give my best in the final. I felt confident after the qualifying round. I trained quite hard in the two days in between the qualifying round and final. I was determined to cross my personal best. I don’t know there might be some sort of problem as I felt my second throw was right up there. Now that I have this gold medal with me, no complaints,” smiled Neeraj.   

German coach Klaus Partonietz has been around with him since last one and half years. Neeraj specially thanked him (Klaus) for the effort he has put behind him along with physio Ishan Marwaha during the period when he was injured.

“I would specially like to thank my foreign coach Klaus Partonietz   and physio Ishan Marwaha. They were with me in Sweden as well. I always wanted to take part in international competition. I would also like to thank TOPS, SAI, Federation. JSW Sports. Because after I was injured I was not getting many opportunities to compete in international competitions. My focus was always on the Olympics.”

The athlete from Haryana was quite emotional to see the tri colour being raised at the National stadium along with the national anthem.

“It was altogether a different feeling. I had some injuries and bad times during the last five years but everything sort of was erased from the mind after today. I was feeling the current in the body when the national anthem was being played. I did not weep but I was very happy from inside,” Neeraj said

Immediately after the last throw Neeraj seen lying on the track and praying. On being asked to take through that moment, he said,

“The track is like a God for me and so I prayed to him.”