Sony Entertainment Television’s popular show Kaun Banega Crorepati is all set to welcome Olympians Neeraj Chopra and PR Sreejesh in this week’s Friday Special episode of Shaandaar Shukravaar. They will be seen sharing personal anecdotes and experiences of the highs and lows of their career as athletes. Not only this, in the episode, Neeraj Chopra, who is ranked second internationally by the World Athletics Ranking in 2021, shares why and how he embarked upon Javelin throw as a sport.
Talking about the same, Neeraj Chopra shared, “Honestly, I was overweight when I was 13-14 years old. My chacha ji (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 will take up any sport. I simply went there to lose weight. The stadium was 15-16 kms away from my village and I used to travel by bus. This bus used to stop 2kms before the stadium and I had to walk it up all the way. After a month or two, my fitness improved. There were a lot of sports at the stadium but I saw my seniors throw javelin and I liked seeing it go very far and get stuck on the ground and I felt like I want to do this. I tried it and enjoyed it very much.”
Adding further to this, he shared, “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 like about it, but I felt this is a sport that I want to take up. I never thought of representing India at Olympics (when I took up the sport). I just put in all my energy & hard work and I’m lucky that I got great support and guidance from my family & seniors and today, I’ve won Gold for my country.”
Both the athletes will be playing for the causes they support. The winning amount will be donated to the Kerala Government Initiative – Vidyakiranam by PR Sreejesh and Inspire Institute of Sports of Bellary, Karnataka by Neeraj Chopra.