India's two-time Olympic medalist and former world champion javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra was honored with the 'Best Male Athlete of the Year 2025' award at the inaugural Athletics Federation of India (AFI) Awards function on Saturday. Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya presented the award to Chopra, who recently began his 2026 season by securing his place at the upcoming Commonwealth Games after comfortably surpassing the qualification mark at the Doha Diamond League on Friday.
Chopra's Message to Youth
Speaking while receiving the award, Chopra urged young athletes to work hard and remain patient. He addressed a common perception among Indians regarding the strength of European and American athletes, asserting that Indians have the capability to achieve anything. "My only advice is to keep working hard on the field and remain patient. Never rush things, because you have your entire career ahead of you. Stay safe from injuries, always listen to your team, and believe in yourself. The biggest thing is that we Indians think that Europeans or Americans are stronger, but I feel we have the capability within us to achieve anything. As you can see, we are performing so well, and I believe there is a whole career ahead. Just have faith and patience, and amazing things will happen," he said.
Return to Competition in Doha
Commenting on his return to action in Doha, Chopra said, "Got to compete after so long, and it was a good throw. There is a lot of year remaining, and I will do better." He finished fourth in the Doha Diamond League on Friday, marking his first competition of the 2026 season. The 28-year-old, who missed the last eight months due to a back injury, registered a foul throw on his first attempt but eventually found his groove, achieving a throw of 85.69 meters. This was a mixed bag return to competitive sport for him. Prior to this, he had finished eighth at the Tokyo World Athletics Championships, failing to defend his world title and managing a best throw of just 84.03 meters.
Parul Chaudhary Honored as Best Female Athlete
Parul Chaudhary, the Indian steeplechase athlete, was honored with the 'Best Female Athlete of the Year 2025' award. Last month, she narrowly missed breaking her own national record in the women's 3000-meter steeplechase at the Shanghai Diamond League 2026. During the prestigious event, Chaudhary clocked a time of 9:12.84, officially starting her season. She finished seventh, falling just 0.38 seconds short of her national record, which she set during her gold-winning performance at the Asian Athletics Championships in Gumi last year. The 30-year-old from Uttar Pradesh improved the national record to 9:12.96 but had to settle for a silver medal at that championship.
