New Delhi, May 23: Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday congratulated Neeraj Chopra on becoming World Number one in the Men’s Javelin Throw rankings, saying it was testament of his talent and hard work for the sport.
India’s Tokyo Olympics gold medallist Chopra on Monday surged to the top of the latest men’s javelin throw and is the new World No.1 in the rankings issued by the World Athletics.
Chopra was leading the ranking with 1455 points, 22 ahead of Grenada’s Anderson Peters. Chopra had been at the No. 2 position since August 30, 2022, but overtook Peters, the reigning world champion, this week.
Czech Republic’s Jakub Vadlejch is placed third with 1410 points with Julian Webber of Germany in fourth with 1385 points and Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem at fifth on 1306 points.
The No. 1 ranking will come as a boost for Chopra, who will next compete at the FBK Games 2023 on June 4 in the Netherlands. He also confirmed his participation at the Paavo Nurmi Games 2023 in Turku, Finland, on June 13.
The 25-year-old from Haryana has risen to the top of the rankings based on superb performances since September last year, when Chopra won the Diamond League 2022 finals in Zurich, becoming the first Indian athlete to win the prestigious Diamond League trophy.