Neeraj Chopra bagged the gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics ending India’s 100-year wait for an elusive athletics Gold medal at the world’s top sporting stage. Neeraj did not come from an affluent background but is a farmer’s son from Khandra village near Panipat in Haryana. It must be said that several of our sportspersons who have made the countrymen proud at the international level have come from poor financial backgrounds. It is their hard work, determination, dedication, and the desire to excel in the sports of their choice that have taken them to great heights. There are celebrations when a sportsperson brings home a medal. However, after a few years, the medal-winning sportsperson is driven back to poverty and forced to take up odd jobs. Many have sold their medals. There have been instances when they had to even resort to begging to make a living. If we are to produce more sportspersons like Neeraj Chopra then they need to be given adequate training facilities and financial support. If even a fraction of the amount spent for the cricketers is spent on athletics and other sports, then the country will produce several sportspersons who will excel at the international level. The government also needs to introduce a policy to look after the needs of medal-winning sportspersons when they are old. It would be desirable to offer a government job for every sportsperson who has brought laurels for the country.
