Neeraj Chopra gives thanks for Param Vishisht Seva Medal and Padma Shri

Olympic gold medallist Neeraj Chopra was confirmed as the recipient of the Param Vishisht Seva Medal and Padma Shri by President Ram Nath Kovind on Tuesday.

In response, the athlete has put out a statement.

Chopra thanked all his supporters in the statement, saying, “I thank all of you for your wishes & support. I will continue the hard work & try to perform well for my country.”

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The 24-year-old, who won a historic Olympic gold at men’s javelin throw at the Tokyo Olympics in 2020, becoming India’s only gold medallist in track and field athletics.

Chopra was born in 1997 in the Khandra village located in the Panipat district, Haryana.

He broke into international track and field athletics in 2013, winning his first international medal, a silver medal, at the Youth Olympics in Bangkok in 2014.

In 2016, Chopra became the first Indian to win at a track and field event in the IAAF World U20 Championships, also becoming the first Indian athlete to set a world record with a throw distance of 86.48 metres.

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The next year, Chopra secured a gold at the 2017 Asian Athletics Championships, and went on to become the first Indian to win the javelin throw in the Commonwealth Games in May 2018. Months later, in August, Chopra secured another gold at the 2018 Asian Games, with a throw distance of 88.06 metres.

Chopra is also a part of the Indian Army and is a Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO) holding the rank of a Subedar. He joined the armed forces in 2016 and is with the 4 Rajputana Rifles.