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London, February 2
Olympics gold medal winner Neeraj Chopra was today nominated for the prestigious Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year award, making him the first Indian to be featured in the short-list for this category. The javelin thrower was clubbed alongside tennis stars Daniil Medvedev and Emma Raducanu among others.
At the Tokyo Olympics, the 23-year-old Chopra became only the second Indian to win an individual gold medal in the Games’ history. “...it’s a great honour for me to be recognised in the wider sporting world for what I achieved in Tokyo,” Chopra said.
“From being a kid in a small village who only took up sport to get fit, to standing on top of an Olympics podium, it’s been quite an eventful journey so far. I feel privileged to be able to represent my country and win India medals at the global stage, and now to have this recognition from Laureus and be considered alongside such exceptional athletes is a really special feeling,” he added.
Chopra is only the third Indian to fetch a Laureus nomination after cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar and wrestler Vinesh Phogat.
Phogat was nominated in the World Sporting Comeback category for 2019, while Tendulkar won the award for the best sporting moment in the last 20 years in 2020. The moment was Tendulkar’s teammates lifting him on their shoulders after India won the 2011 ODI World Cup.
A panel of more than 1,300 sports journalists and broadcasters have selected the nominees in each of the seven categories for this year’s Laureus World Sports Awards. The winners will be revealed in April, following a vote by the Laureus World Sports Academy, the world’s ultimate sports jury, made up of 71 of the greatest sporting legends of all time. —
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