‘Man of Firsts’ Neeraj Chopra Becomes First Indian To Win Diamond League
Olympic gold medal winner Neeraj Chopra, on Thursday, added another title to his kitty by winning the Diamond League 2022. With this victory, he became the first Indian to win the prestigious Diamond League Finals title in Zurich.
88.44m!
Just a few weeks after his first ever #DiamondLeague win, @Neeraj_chopra1 claims his first ever Diamond Trophy!#ZurichDL??#DLFinal?
? @matthewquine pic.twitter.com/bwf3kzpMtc— Wanda Diamond League (@Diamond_League) September 8, 2022
In the match, Neeraj started with a foul throw, but maintaining his calmness, he ran for the second throw of 88.44m, which took him to the top spot in the points table. Followed by this, Neeraj threw 88.00 m, 86.11 m, 87.00 m, and 83.60 m in his successive attempts. The second throw of 88.44 m marked the fourth-best throw of Neeraj’s career, which also led him to win the title.
While Neeraj’s contender and Olympic Silver medalist Jakub Vadlejch of the Czech Republic finished second with a best throw of 86.94 m in his fourth attempt, Julian Weber of Germany finished third with his best throw of 83.73 m.
Neeraj Chopra: Only Indian Athlete To Win Multiple Titles
With his victory in Diamond League 2022, the 24-year-old Indian athlete has become the only Indian athlete with multiple world titles, including Olympic gold medalist, World Championships silver medalist, and Diamond League champion. The best part of all these achievements is the duration, which Neeraj achieved within just 13 months. He won his first title on 07th August 2021 in Tokyo.
A Layer Of Joy Among Neeraj’s Fans
Following the victory in Diamond League 2022, Neeraj received love from everyone. Some prominent figures and associations also congratulated the player and wished him good luck for the upcoming tournaments. The Athletics Federation of India tweeted: “Golds, Silvers done, he gifts a 24-carat Diamond this time to the nation, Ladies & Gentlemen, salute the great #NeerajChopra for winning #DiamondLeague finals at #ZurichDL with 88.44m throw,”
Golds,Silvers done, he gifts a 24-carat Diamond ? this time to the nation ???
Ladies & Gentlemen, salute the great #NeerajChopra for winning #DiamondLeague finals at #ZurichDL with 88.44m throw.
FIRST INDIAN?? AGAIN??#indianathletics ?
X-*88.44*?-86.11-87.00-6T? pic.twitter.com/k96w2H3An3
— Athletics Federation of India (@afiindia) September 8, 2022
The Minister of Sports and Youth Affairs, Anurag Thakur, tweeted: “@NeerajChopra adds another feather to his cap by scripting history to become the 1st Indian to win #DiamondLeague Title. You’ve taken Indian Sports to new heights with your superb performances. @IndiaSports is proud to support you in this journey. Congratulations, Champ!!”
.@Neeraj_chopra1 adds another feather to his cap by scripting history to become the 1st Indian to win #DiamondLeague Title.
You've taken Indian Sports to new heights with your superb performances. @IndiaSports is proud to support you in this journey. Congratulations Champ!! pic.twitter.com/3UKwMPinBD
— Anurag Thakur (@ianuragthakur) September 9, 2022
What Do Diamond League Winners Get?
For winning the Diamond League Zurich title, Neeraj Chopra will receive a diamond trophy along with $30,000 prize money and a wild card for the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest. However, Neeraj Chopra best throw has breached the 85.20m mark, qualifying him for the upcoming meet.
