National Javelin Day recap: A reminder of how Neeraj Chopra has inspired countless young athletes

On August 7 this year, on the first anniversary of Neeraj's historic gold medal finish at the Japan National Stadium when he sealed the deal with a majestic throw of 87.58m, the first National Javelin Day was celebrated in the country. The Athletics Federation of India (AFI) had earlier announced that from now on August 7 will be commemorated as National Javelin Day. According to AFI President Adille J Sumariwalla, this step has been taken to promote the sport at the grassroots level to encourage more and more kids to take up javelin, with Neeraj as their shining idol. As many as 32 State and Union Territory units affiliated to the AFI organised Javelin competitions on August 7. The competitions were held in various categories like, U-14, U-16, U-18, U-20 and Men's. The U-14 category of the Delhi State competition was won by 13-year-old Taksh Lohiya.

(Photo: Special Arrangement)Taksh threw the javelin to a distance of 32.71m to claim the top honours. He later spoke to TimesofIndia.com about the experience and of course the whole country's javelin idol, Neeraj Chopra. "I worked really hard for this gold medal. When I won it, I was so happy. My gold is a tribute to Neeraj bhaiya who gave India a gold medal in athletics and javelin throw at the Tokyo Olympics. It took 125 years for an Indian to win an Olympic medal in athletics and Neeraj bhaiya created history by giving India an elusive gold" Taksh told TimesofIndia.com in an interview. "AFI has given a big platform to all of us. I was determined to do well, so that I could say thank you to Neeraj bhaiya. He is an inspiration for me," Taksh further said.

Last year, Taksh underwent knee surgery. The comeback was a difficult one for him, but he was determined to perform.