Abhinav Bindra heaps praise on Neeraj Chopra for silver medal at Paris Olympics

New Delhi [India], August 9 (ANI): Olympic gold medalist Abhinav Bindra heaped praise on Neeraj Chopra for clinching the silver medal at the ongoing Paris Olympics and said that the Indian javelin thrower carried the hopes of a billion hearts.

Chopra, 26, fell short of retaining his gold medal, finishing with a best throw of 89.45 meters. Despite a strong performance on his second attempt, he struggled with four consecutive foul throws, which prevented him from winning gold.

Chopra became the second male athlete from post-independence India to win two Olympic medals in an individual event.

Abhinav Bindra took to his official X handle and thanked Neeraj for inspiring every Indian to dream big. The former India shooter added that the 26-year-old’s legacy grows stronger with every step.

“Neeraj, your journey today was nothing short of a hero’s tale. The way you carried the hopes of a billion hearts, your unwavering spirit shining brightly, fills us all with immense pride. Winning silver, you’ve shown us that the pursuit of greatness is a relentless journey, one filled with passion, dedication, and belief. Thank you for inspiring every Indian to dream big and reminding us that gold is always within reach. Your legacy grows stronger with every step. Congratulations to Arshad Nadeem on his historic gold and breaking the Olympic record,” Abhinav Bindra wrote on X.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Jay Shah congratulated Neeraj Chopra and said that his commitment and effort in the final were inspiring.

“Back-to-back Olympic medals for our star, Neeraj Chopra! India’s first silver medal at the #Paris2024 Olympics, and what a way to achieve it! You might have fallen short of the gold, but your commitment and effort in the final were really inspiring,” Jay Shah wrote on X.

Indian men’s cricket team head coach Gautam Gambhir lauded Neeraj Chopra for winning silver at the Paris Olympics.

“The icon never returns without bringing joy to every Indian,” Gautam Gambhir wrote on X.

Chopra’s first and third attempts were invalidated by red flags, and his final three attempts were fouls. Despite a strong performance in the qualification round with a throw of 89.34 meters, his 89.45-meter throw was not enough to retain his gold.