Neeraj Chopra trains hard in South Africa with eyes set on Paris Olympics gold

Neeraj Chopra, India's 'Golden Boy' has been sweating it out in South Africa, hitting the gym and athletic track as he prepares for the upcoming Paris Olympics 2024. Chopra will have his eyes set on bringing home another gold medal in the marquee event.

In a video shared by the Sports Authority of India (SAI) on X (formerly Twitter), Neeraj was seen going through highly intense preparation on the field and in the gym.

"Homeboy Neeraj is sweating it out in South Africa, under #TOPScheme funding! The prep for #ParisOlympics is going strong. Keep rocking @Neeraj_chopra1 !!," SAI tweeted sharing a video of the star athlete sweating it out.

The reigning Olympic champion had submitted a proposal under SAI's Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) to train in South Africa's Potchefstroom from December 5, 2023, to February 29, 2024, in a quest to defend his title at the Paris Olympics 2024.

His proposal was made for 85 days before shifting base to Europe. The Mission Olympic Cell (MOC) approved his proposal worth INR 27.67 lakh. Chopra is accompanied by Dr Klaus Bartonietz, his coach and biomechanics expert, and physiotherapist Ishaan Marwaha.

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Neeraj Chopra's 'Golden' journey

Neeraj Chopra first created a major impact on the continental and Commonwealth stage, winning the gold medal in the javelin throw at the Asian Games in Jakarta.

India's premier athlete gave early indications of his prowess, hinting toward a fine future with his throw of 88.06m at the continental level. Further, he bagged a gold medal in the 2018 Commonwealth Games as well, with an impressive throw of 86.47m.

However, 2021 was the year when Chopra established himself and stamped his authority, being widely recognized as India's 'golden boy'. He claimed a historic Olympic gold medal in Tokyo with a massive 87.58m throw. With this triumph, he became India's first-ever athlete to bag a gold medal in athletics.

If this was not enough, he created a new national record, claiming a silver medal with an 89.30m throw at the Paavo Nurmi Games in Finland. In the process, he improved on his previous national record of 88.07m which came in Patiala in March 2022.

The biggest and most memorable moment came when he managed to win the gold at the Asian Games. Given his stellar performance at Hangzhou, the star athlete will be expected to repeat his feat in Paris.