NEW DELHI: Indian companies and governments promised cash and gifts worth more than two million dollars to javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra after he won India's first ever Olympic athletics gold medal.
The 23-year-old farmer's son, who two years ago underwent surgery on a career-threatening elbow injury, threw 87.58 metres in the Tokyo Olympic stadium on Saturday to send his country into raptures.
Chopra led India's most successful Olympics ever with a gold, two silver medals and four bronze. He will lead a cash bonanza for the winning athletes - the government in his home state of Haryana said it would give Chopra a 60 million rupee ($800,000) bonus.
Other state governments offered another $400,000 between them and a leading education company promised $270,000.
Chopra said he hoped the Olympic gold would be a turning point for his country's athletes.
"In athletics, I feel we have missed medals by fine margins over the years. So this medal was important," he said.
"Now that I have won, I feel we can do anything."
Chopra was up against the previously in-form Johannes Vetter of Germany who had thrown a season's best of 96.29 metres before the Olympics, but had an off day and failed to qualify for the throw-off as one of the top eight.
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