President Murmu congratulates Neeraj Chopra on winning gold medal, says: ‘It is a matter of pride for the country’

New Delhi: Congratulating Neeraj Chopra for becoming the first Indian to win a gold medal at the World Athletics Championships, President Draupadi Murmu said he has written another golden page in the history of Indian sports. Reigning Olympic champion Chopra shot 88.88 in the men’s javelin event late last night at the ongoing World Championships in Budapest. Won the gold medal with a throw of 17 metres. He became the second Indian after shooter Abhinav Bindra to win Olympic and World Championship gold at the same time.

Congratulating him on the social media platform X, the President said, “Neeraj Chopra added another golden page to the history of Indian sports by becoming the first Indian to win a gold medal at the World Athletics Championships. Their stupendous performance in the javelin throw final in Budapest will inspire millions of our youth. Congratulating the three javelin throwers who made it to the last eight, he said, “It is a matter of pride for the country that three Indians Neeraj Chopra, Kishor Jena and D P Manu reached the final and finished in the top six in the javelin throw event of the World Athletics Championships.

I congratulate all of them.” He wrote, “They have taken Indian athletics to unprecedented heights. I wish him all the best for achieving more in the future. Such was the dominance of India in the javelin throw finals that three of the top six players were from India and this is the first time in the World Championship that three of the top eight were Indians. Kishor Jena finished fifth in the late Sunday final with a personal best shot of 84. Best throw of 77 metres. D P Manu finished sixth with a best throw of 84.14 metres.