What Neeraj moment means to athletics

The diameter of the gold medal Neeraj Chopra received is 85 mm, its weight is 556 grams. Its weight to India, though, will be immeasurable. You will have heard stories about its significance—the country’s first gold ever in athletics in Olympic history—but it’s still worth talking about. With swimming and gymnastics being the other two, athletics is considered one of the gold standard events of the Olympic programme. India has won Olympic gold before in hockey and shooting. But never in one of the three glamour disciplines. What Neeraj essentially did on Saturday is to change this.

Until Saturday afternoon, it was a dream. When he hurled the spear to a distance of 87.58 m, it quite literally gave wings to the idea of a future where India could aspire to win multiple athletic medals. It also literally punched a hole in the idea of India not being capable in the field of athletics. Sure, one medal today may not mean much, but one must consider the bigger picture. For a winning culture to emerge, there has to be a pathbreaker. The 23-year-old’s generation-defining effort could be just that. Even if cricket was always popular, the 1983 World Cup and the 1985 win in Australia heralded a new dawn. Shooting received a shot in the arm after the 2002 Manchester Commonwealth Games and 2004 Olympic silver. Saina Nehwal’s badminton bronze in 2012 inspired a generation of kids to take up the sport. Likewise in wrestling and boxing after the medals in the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Neeraj’s watershed moment could have the same effect. It all depends on how the legacy would be moved forward. For once, his success is not just his personal brilliance but also a reflection of a system that had managed to work together. The Athletics Federation of India, Sports Authority of India and JSW Sports’ contributions cannot be disregarded. Scientific training was provided along with a personal coach. Talent scouting in athletics is just the first step. Creating the right conditions and environment in pursuit of glory is an entirely different thing. If India manages to increase this tally of one in Paris in 2024 or Los Angeles in 2028, there will be a silent nod to 7 August 2021.