Javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra and hockey player PR Sreejesh graced the TV show Kaun Banega Crorepati on Friday (September 17). Both the sportspersons made the country proud and brought home the medal glory from Tokyo Olympics 2020. While Neeraj won the gold medal, the Indian men's hockey team had won the bronze medal. It was after 41 years that the Indian hockey team won a medal in Olympics.
One of the strongest prospects to win a medal, Neeraj ended the country's 100-year wait for a medal in track and field events. He had qualified for the final with a throw of 86.59m. In the finals, he came up with the best throw of 87.58m. None of the other javelin throwers could even touch the 87m-mark.
Speaking to Bachchan on the show, Neeraj recalled his journey to the podium in Tokyo and revealed that he didn't think about representing the country in the Olympics when he took up the sport.
"Honestly, I was overweight when I was 13-14 years old. My chachaji (paternal uncle) insisted that I take up sports. He even asked me to choose between sports and studies, and thinking he will be proud of me I told him my choice -- studies. To which he said he knows how much I study and asked me to take up sports. So, when he sent me to a stadium, I wasn't even sure I would take up any sport," Neeraj said on KBC.
"My senior Jai, he felt that my throw was good and he asked me to join him. And I don't know what happened or what I liked about it, but I felt this is a sport that I want to take up. I never thought of representing India at the Olympics when I took up the sport. I just put in all my energy and hard work and I'm lucky that I got great support and guidance from my family and seniors and today, I've won Gold for my country,"
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