Neeraj Chopra recently finished second in the Diamond League final in Brussels. Prior to that, Neeraj won a silver medal at the Paris Olympics.
New Delhi: Olympic champion Indian javelin star Neeraj Chopra enjoys an incredible fan base not just in his own country but abroad too. Not just for his on-field performances, but Neeraj’s down-to-earth nature also makes him one of the most favourite and loved athletes among his fans around the world.
One such incident happened after Neeraj’s Diamond League final event in Brussels. As the Indian heading towards his vehicle, a couple of young female fans approached Neeraj from the barricade for a picture and autograph. Like always, Neeraj was gracious enough to oblige to their demands before one of them asked for his phone number.
In reply, Neeraj denied in the most humble way.
European girls are crazy for Neeraj Chopra 🔥 pic.twitter.com/OI40C8Rmc5
— Johns (@JohnyBravo183) September 16, 2024
Earlier, Neeraj agonisingly missed the Diamond League crown by just one centimeter as he finished second for the second consecutive year with a throw of 87.86m in the season finale on Saturday. The 26-year-old, who had won the Diamond League trophy in 2022 before finishing second last year, achieved his best throw of the day in his third attempt but that was 1cm short of eventual winner Anderson Peters’ 87.87m effort.
Grenada’s Peters, a two-time world champion, produced his best throw of the day in his opening attempt. Julian Weber of Germany was third with 85.97m. Neeraj, who added a silver to his Olympic medal tally in Paris following a historic gold at the Tokyo Games, thus ended his season on a high.
The Indian javelin throw superstar, who has a personal best of 89.94m and season’s best of 89.49m, had a series of 86.82m, 83.49m, 87.86m, 82.04m, 83.30m and 86.46m. Peters will collect a Diamond League trophy and USD 30,000 for emerging as the DL champion this season.
Neeraj will pocket USD 12,000 for his second-place finish in the grand finale which marked the end of the prestigious Diamond League series after 14 legs, as well as the end of international athletics season. The Haryana lad remained consistent throughout the season, though he won just one international event this season — Paavo Nurmi Games in Turku, Finland on June 18.
He had made the Diamond League final cut after finishing fourth in the overall standings with 14 points from his two second-place finishes in DL one-day meets in Doha and Lausanne on May 10 and August 22. He has been struggling with his fitness this season and is expected to meet a doctor to rectify a groin injury that has affected him all season and came in the way of his quest to hit the 90m mark.