Neeraj Chopra Wins Olympic Silver, Mom's Graceful Reaction Goes Viral

Javelin throw athlete Neeraj Chopra clinched a second Olympic medal for India as he won a silver at the Paris Games 2024 on August 8. Adding to his Tokyo 2020 gold medal, the 26-year-old champion made history as the first-ever Indian athlete to win both a gold and a silver at the Olympics. Chopra, displaying exceptional skill and determination finished in second place with 89.45 metres, the season's best. Pakistan's Arshad Nadeem earned a historic gold medal as he set an Olympic record of 92.97 metres.

Neeraj Chopra: Carrying Dreams Of A Nation

Neeraj Chopra's much-anticipated second Olympic medal emerged as a dream come true for India. The road to clinching the silver was not smooth, as he registered multiple fouls in the finals. Moreover, he has reportedly been suffering from a long-standing injury that has affected his performance.

Chopra expressed dismay over losing his second Olympic gold. He said, "My technique and runway was not that good. (I managed) only one throw, the rest I fouled. The last few years were not so good for me. I'm always injured. I really tried hard, but I have to work on my injury (staying injury-free) and technique."

Despite the hard luck, India is immensely proud of Neeraj Chopra's achievement, as demonstrated by the showers of congratulatory messages. Moreover, his mother Saroj Devi's interaction with Asian News International after his win has gone viral for the positivity and sportsmanship she displayed. 

#WATCH | Haryana: On Neeraj Chopra winning a silver medal in men's javelin throw at #ParisOlympics2024, his mother Saroj Devi says, "We are very happy, for us silver is also equal to gold...he was injured, so we are happy with his performance..." pic.twitter.com/6VxfMZD0rF

— ANI (@ANI) August 8, 2024

Social Media Flooded With Positive Messages For Neeraj Chopra

Neeraj Chopra is excellence personified! Time and again he’s shown his brilliance. India is elated that he comes back with yet another Olympic success. Congratulations to him on winning the Silver. He will continue to motivate countless upcoming athletes to pursue their dreams… pic.twitter.com/XIjfeDDSeb

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 8, 2024

A big congratulations to the exceptional athlete, Neeraj Chopra, for his amazing achievement in the Men’s javelin throw at Paris Olympics 2024 and winning the Silver Medal. He is an epitome of hard work, dedication and consistency. His success has delighted the entire nation.… pic.twitter.com/FfJteDeV0L

— Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) August 9, 2024

Congratulations to Neeraj Chopra for clinching the silver medal at the Olympics. Your perseverance and passion continue to inspire the nation. You've shown once again that there are no limits to achieving dreams through hard work and dedication.🇮🇳🥈 #NeerajChopra #JavelinThrow… pic.twitter.com/RbytcQgMxR

— 𝕸𝖔𝖍𝖆𝖒𝖒𝖆𝖉 𝖘𝖍𝖆𝖒𝖎 (@MdShami11) August 8, 2024

Neeraj Chopra, Arshad Nadeem, the heroes who brought glory to South Asia tonight at the olympics. Sportsmanship beyond excellence

File image pic.twitter.com/BsYPWFGLWW

— Rana Ayyub (@RanaAyyub) August 8, 2024

🥇- South Asian Games.
🥇- Asian Championship.
🥇- CWG 2018.
🥇- Asian Games.
🥇- Tokyo Olympics.
🥇- Diamond League.
🥈- World Championships.
🥇- World Championships.
🥈- Diamond League.
🥇- Asian Games.
🥈- Paris Olympics.

NEERAJ CHOPRA - THE GOAT ATHELETE...!!! 🤯🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/NlWEeJfY5Q

— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) August 8, 2024

In 2023, Neeraj Chopra secured a gold medal at the World Athletics Championships in Hungary, while Pakistan's Nadeem secured the second position with a slight margin. Chopra carved his name into history as the inaugural Indian to achieve this honour, adding to his array of historic achievements.

For those unfamiliar, Chopra initially captivated global attention by securing India's first track and field gold medal at the 2021 Tokyo Olympic Games. This recent triumph further cements his status as one of India's stand-out figures in the realm of international athletics.