On Friday, August 6, 2021, Neeraj Chopra got India its first gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics and the first gold for the country since Abhinav Bindra’s 2008 shooting medal.

This was also India’s first gold in a track and field event, a long-standing dream dreamt most passionately by the legend Miljha Singh who couldn’t live to see it. 

Neeraj’s 87.58 meter-long throw created history in more ways than one, and while we celebrate him, let’s not forget to also credit his coach Uwe Hohn, who is a legend in his own right. 

Uwe is a German sporting icon who holds the record for the world record of the longest javelin throw in recorded competitive history.  

His throw of 104.80 meter is actually an ‘eternal world record’ because the rules of Javelin throw were changed soon after.

He won the gold at the World Cup, 1985 (which was the best performance by a javelin thrower that year) and European Championships, 1982.

He began his career as a coach in India in the year 2017, and in just 4 years, helped the nation create history.

However, it would be remiss not to mention another coach of Neeraj Chopra, Klaus Bartonietz, who came in after AFI decided that Chopra and Hohn will part ways, in keeping with the “preference of the athlete in mind”.

Klaus Bartonietz is also from Germany and is a biomechanics expert. 

The credit here also goes to his first coach Jitender Jaglan, who trained him at the Shivaji Sports Stadium. Jitender has said that the first few months were all about getting Neeraj to a weight ideal for his sport and that his first throw was 25-meter-long.

He also said that Neeraj was always focused on winning an Olympic medal, it was always his dream.

With dedication and such able guidance, it’s no surprise that Neeraj went on to do what he did. We couldn’t be prouder.