Indian star athlete Neeraj Chopra received a grand welcome as he returned to India after wrapping up the 2024 season . The 2024 Paris Olympics silver medallist got a hero’s welcome at the Sports University of Haryana in Sonipat’s Rai on Friday, September 27. Regarded as India’s Golden Boy, Chopra secured a second-podium finish in the 2024 edition of Olympics and wrapped up the 2024 season with a second-place finish at the Diamond League finale in Brussels.
During his welcome at the Sports University, Neeraj was escorted by officials as students lined up to welcome the 27-year-old javelin thrower. Chopra was spotted with a plaster after he fractured his left thumb. Notably, Chopra suffered a muscle niggle throughout the year, which also impacted his performance during the season. The athlete had posted a picture on X, revealing that he had participated in the Diamond League finale with a fractured left hand.
Biggest target for next year is the World Championship: Neeraj Chopra
During the press conference at the Sports University of Haryana, Chopra discussed his upcoming plan and talked about his fitness. The young athlete said, "The season is over now. The biggest target for next year is the World Championship, and we will begin preparations for that now. The Olympics are always on our minds, but we have four years for that.”
Talking about his injury, Chopra said, "It was an injury-plagued year but injury is fine now, I will be 100 per cent fit for the new season. Technical issues are also there but we will work on them. I will look to improve my technique. I do like to train in India but when competitions start, I prefer to train abroad.” The javelin thrower concluded by saying, "In the coming times, we expect strong performances in both the Olympics and the Paralympics.”