Neeraj Chopra (born 24 December 1997) is an Indian javelin thrower and one of the country’s greatest athletes. At the Tokyo 2020 Olympics he won India’s first-ever Olympic gold in track and field. He added a silver at Paris 2024, making him one of the few Indians with two individual Olympic medals. He is also a world champion, a Diamond League champion and a double Asian Games gold medallist. In 2025 he threw beyond 90 metres for the first time.
Quick Facts
| Full name | Neeraj Chopra |
| Born | 24 December 1997, Khandra, Panipat district, Haryana, India |
| Age | 28 |
| Sport | Athletics (javelin throw) |
| Personal best | 90.23 m (Doha, 2025) |
| Olympic medals | Gold (Tokyo 2020), Silver (Paris 2024) |
| Military | Indian Army; honorary Lieutenant Colonel (2025) |
| Spouse | Himani Mor (m. 2025) |
Early Life
Chopra was born in the village of Khandra in Haryana’s Panipat district into a farming family. As an overweight boy he was sent to a gym in Panipat to get fit, and there he discovered javelin by watching older athletes. He moved to Panchkula for proper training and quickly rose through the junior ranks.
Career
In 2016 Chopra won the World U20 Championships with a throw of 86.48 metres, a junior world record. He joined the Indian Army as a Junior Commissioned Officer that year. In 2018 he won gold at both the Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast and the Asian Games in Jakarta.
At the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, held in August 2021, Chopra won gold with a throw of 87.58 metres. It was India’s first Olympic medal of any colour in athletics since independence, and only the second individual Olympic gold by an Indian, after Abhinav Bindra. The win made him a national hero.
Chopra won silver at the 2022 World Championships and became the first Indian to win the Diamond League final that year. In 2023 he won the World Championships in Budapest and a second Asian Games gold. He took silver at the Paris 2024 Olympics. In May 2025 he threw 90.23 metres at the Doha Diamond League, his first throw beyond 90 metres. He also hosted and won the first Neeraj Chopra Classic in India. He finished eighth at the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo.
Personal Life
Chopra married the tennis player and coach Himani Mor in January 2025. He serves in the Indian Army and was made an honorary Lieutenant Colonel in 2025.
Awards and Honours
Frequently Asked Questions
When and where was Neeraj Chopra born?
Neeraj Chopra was born on 24 December 1997 in Khandra, Panipat district, Haryana, India and is 28 years old.
Featured image: Neeraj Chopra (left), the gold medallist, and Davinder Singh Kang celebrate with the Indian flag. Photo by Athletics Federation of India, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
