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Javelin Star Neeraj Chopra First Indian To Be Featured In 'World Breakthrough Of Year' Shortlist

Chopra is not the first Indian to fetch a Laureus nomination' cricket star Sachin Tendulkar and Wrestler Vinesh Phogat has also been nominated for the award. Tendulkar had won the 'Laureus best sporting moment in the last 20 years in 2020, while Phogat was nominated in the 'Laureus World Sporting Comeback' category for 2019.

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Indian Javelin Thrower and Olympic gold medallist Neeraj Chopra has been nominated for the 'World Breakthrough Of The Year;' award. With this, Chopra becomes the first indian to be featured in the shortlist for this category.

The 23-year-old joins the club with Tennis stars Daniil Medvedev, Emma Raducan, and others.

"It's an honour for me to be recognised for what I achieved in Tokyo. From being a kid in a small village in rural India who only took up the sport for fitness to standing on top of an Olympic podium, it's been quite an eventful journey," NDTV quoted Chopra as saying.

Chopra said it was no less than a privilege to be recognised as the first indian for the honour. Bagging a medal for India is an accomplishment, but to have this recognition from Laureus and be considered alongside such exceptional athletes is an extraordinary feeling, he added.

Historical Moment

Chopra scripted history by winning the country's first gold at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. With the massive 87.58-metre throw in his second attempt, he became the second Indian to win an individual Olympic gold medal and first in track and field.

Other Sportspersons Nominated

Apart from Chopra, FC Barcelona's 19-year-old football prodigy Pedri is also nominated. According to the report, Pedri has been voted the best young player at the Ballon d'Or, Yulimar Rojas. Swimmer Ariarne Titmus is also nominated for the honour.

National Football League (NFL) star Tom Brady, Bayern Munich's goal-scorer Robert Lewandowski, new Formula One world champion Max Verstappen, Tennis World no.1 Novak Djokovic, Swimmers Caeleb Dressel and Eliud Kipchoge, have also been featured in the shortlist.

Indians For The World

Chopra is not the first Indian to fetch a Laureus nomination' cricket star Sachin Tendulkar and Wrestler Vinesh Phogat has also been nominated for the award.

Tendulkar had won the 'Laureus best sporting moment in the last 20 years in 2020, while Phogat was nominated in the 'Laureus World Sporting Comeback' category for 2019.

The Laureus World Sports Awards

Established in 1999 by Laureus Sport for Good Foundation founding patrons Daimler and Richemont, the annual ceremony honours sportspersons and teams from the fraternity, who have performed exceptionally well in their field.

Reportedly, the nominees are listed by a panel of more than 1,300 sports journalists and broadcasters worldwide, in each of the seven categories. The awardees will be revealed in April, following a vote by the Laureus World Sports Academy, the world's top sports jury consisting 71 sporting legends of all time.

Also Read: Amid Rising Unemployment, Over 5,000 Jobs Removed In 5 Yrs By Indian Railways: RTI

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Writer : Devyani Madaik
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Editor : Shiva Chaudhary
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Creatives : Devyani Madaik

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