Tokyo Olympics: Next day my body felt how special it was with all the pain but it was worth it: Neeraj Chopra

Bengaluru, Aug 9: The cynosure of everyone's eyes, India's gold-medallist at the Tokyo Olympics, Neeraj Chopra revealed on Monday that he was in pain after his epoch-making performance at the men's javelin finals of the Tokyo Games.

Tokyo Olympics: India's Olympic heroes felicitated in grand ceremony

But the star athlete added that the historic achievement made all the pain worth it.

Chopra returned home to chaotic celebrations at the Indira Gandhi International Airport, as he along with the other medallists were felicited later in the evening in a ceremony in New Delhi on Monday.

During the felicitation ceremony, organised by sports minister Anurag Thakur, the newly-crowned Olympic champion said that he knew he had done something special with the second attempt of 87.58m in the javelins finals, a throw which ensured his gold medal. Though looking back, Chopra's first throw was enough for him to clinch gold.

"I knew I had done something special, actually I thought I had achieved my personal best. The throw had gone really well," Chopra said, referring to the 88.07m he achieved earlier this year.

"The next day my body felt how special it was with all the pain but it was worth it. This medal is for the entire country," Chopra was quoted by PTI.

Chopra, who became the first Indian to win an Olympic gold medal in athletics and only the second individual gold medallist for India at the Olympics, said the only message he has for the country's sportspersons right now is never fear.

"I just want to say, no matter who the opposition is, give your best. That is all you need to do and this is what this gold medal stands for. Never fear the opposition," he said.

Chopra got his famously long mane chopped before the Games and when asked about it the youngster said, "I like long hair but I was getting irritated by the heat, long hair causes lot of sweating. So I got a hair cut."

India recorded its best-ever Games, with the country winning seven medals at the Tokyo Games. While Chopra clinched gold on the penultimate day of the Games, in India's final event of the Tokyo Games, India's medal tally was opened by Mirabai Chanu, who clinched a silver. Wrestler Ravi Kumar Dahiya was the other silver medallist for India. Meanwhile shuttler PV Sindhu, boxer Lovlina Borgohain, wrestler Bajrang Punia and the men's hockey team clinched bronze in Tokyo.

(With inputs from PTI)