Anurag Thakur, the Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports, on Saturday congratulated javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra for winning a gold medal at the ongoing Tokyo Olympics. Neeraj Chopra created history on Saturday as he became the first from the country to win a gold in track and field in the Olympics. He threw a distance of 87.58m to pick the gold.
"Let me first congratulate Neeraj Chopra for his outstanding performance, I think every Indian was glued to the TV screens, historic win and it is a great achievement. He has done a fantastic job, let me congratulate him on behalf of 135 crore people. This is great hope for the upcoming generation to play sport and win more medals in the future," Thakur told reporters.
"The world was facing COVID-19 pandemic, it was not easy for any athlete, association and the government also to prepare for such events. The Government of India tried its best to send athletes overseas and look after their training. I am glad India has won the highest ever medals," he added.
Further talking about India's performance at the Olympics, Thakur said: "I think TOPS scheme has worked because the focus was on elite athletes and to make them play more events overseas. Especially during the pandemic, the Indian government tried its best to provide all facilities. Athletes have done a fantastic job, many have missed by small margins but they have won the hearts of many."
"The hockey team ended the wait of 41 years, the women's team also performed well. Our contingent has shown good performance. Aditi Ashok missed out by a small margin, same was the case with Deepak Punia," he added.
Neeraj began his quest for a medal with a massive throw of 87.03 meters and was leading the pack after the end of the first attempt. He bettered it with the second throw of 87.58m. While he wasn't able to improve any further, it was enough to get him the coveted medal. He is now the second Indian after Abhinav Bindra to win a gold medal in individual events.
As a result of this win, India has now won seven medals in the multi-sporting event. In the ongoing Tokyo 2020, Bajrang Punia (Bronze), Mirabai Chanu (silver), PV Sindhu (bronze), Lovlina Borgohain (bronze), men's hockey team ( bronze), and Ravi Kumar Dahiya (silver) have also won medals.
Neeraj had announced his arrival in style in the Tokyo Olympics on Wednesday when he threw a monstrous throw of 86.65m and automatically qualified for the final after just his first attempt.
( With inputs from ANI )
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