A year for records

Neeraj Chopra was named the Sportsman of the Year (Track and Field) at the Sportstar Aces Awards supported by the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy, in association with MRF.

Neeraj Chopra’s twin gold strikes — at the Asian Games and Commonwealth Games in 2018 — escalated his case in the Popular Awards section.

Javelin ace Neeraj Chopra clinched the Sportsman of the Year (Track and Field) at the Sportstar Aces Awards supported by the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy, in association with MRF, in Mumbai.

Chopra’s twin gold strikes — at the Asian Games and Commonwealth Games in 2018 — escalated his case in the Popular Awards section.

At the Asian Games, he set a national record by clearing a distance of 88.06m, the fourth time he had broken the record in 2018.

“I would like to thank the Sportstar magazine and the jury who chose me for this award. I also want to congratulate the other awardees. Whoever has supported me with their best wishes, I request you to keep at it. I will work harder and try to win more medals to make our nation proud. Jai Hind, Jai Bharat!” he told Sportstar in his acceptance speech.

The 21-year-old from Panipat also stressed on the need to perform well in the World Championships ahead of the Tokyo Olympics in 2020.

“The focus is to do well at the World Championship this year, and maintain continuity till the Olympics. There is no pressure. I will try to be at my best and give my 100 per cent. The preparation has been good for Olympics also, but these tournaments are equally big,” he said.