He was overweight.
He needed to work on his fitness
in order to grow tall.
No one can stop him once he makes up his mind.
-Neeraj, please play the video. -Okay.
Neeraj is the eldest son in our family.
So everyone spoiled him a lot.
And as a result, he became overweight.
Panipat Shivaji Stadium is 15 km from our house...
There's a fitness trainer named Jitender.
We took Neeraj to him.
When I went to the ground for the first time
my body was hurting and I wondered why I was doing it.
I was looking for excuses
to skip going to the ground.
In the first six months...
I worked on his cardio, flexibility and his strength.
Then we decided to check
which game he is good at.
We asked him to throw a javelin.
A normal student can throw up to 20 meters.
But when he crossed the 25-meter mark,
I knew that Neeraj was meant for javelin throw.
That was the first time I saw a javelin.
And then...
I decided to try it.
There were many games there
but I was only interested in javelin throw.
Once I started throwing the javelin,
my passion for it came to life.
He improved every day.
There are students
who do not improve from a specific mark for years.
They just can't do better,
but that wasn't the case with Neeraj.
The more he trains and practices
the better he performs,
and that is his strength.
Yes, I've heard that...
Javelin throw is a technical event.
You improve for some time but eventually...
you reach a stagnant place for a couple of years.
I thank God and my seniors who taught me.
They built a good base and trained me so well
that I didn't have to face such problems.
My performance has constantly improved.
A javelin thrower's performance depends...
60 percent on legs and 40 percent on upper body.
So you need leg coordination.
You need strength and explosiveness.
You need to be fast.
My strength is my right arm.
It helps me throw the javelin really fast.
Its flexibility
with the combination of speed is also good.
When Neeraj participated
in the South Asian Games in 2016...
He couldn't perform well for some reason
and he couldn't achieve the mark he had in mind.
This was South Asian Games, 2016.
I got a gold medal in South Asian Games
and I also equaled the national record.
But the Olympic qualification was 83 meters
for the 2016 Rio Olympics.
I missed by a few centimeters. I did feel good but...
I would've felt better if I'd qualified.
The deadline for Olympic qualification
had already passed.
The World Under-20 Championships
took place a couple of weeks later.
In that event I had such a good throw
that I surpassed my personal best
by around four and a half meters.
86.48 meters.
That throw could have gotten me a medal in the Olympics.
Even a meter less, like 85.38 meters
would have earned me a medal.
I did wish that it had happened earlier.
But worrying is not going to help.
I did think it was unfair
but that is the life of an athlete.
Even successful athletes cannot perform sometimes.
But we must keep moving forward.
On 23rd July, 2016...
At that time we didn't even know
what the Under-20 world record was.
He set the Under-20 world record
in that tournament.
He was all over the news.
That's when our family realized
that he has achieved a great milestone.
Our family was up all night.
There was a network issue here
so I was out in the farm with my phone.
So that was a good moment.
And that's when I was known in Indian sports,
that India was doing well in javelin throw.
That was a happy moment.
During the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games in 2018
he promised me at home that he'll do his best.
He won a gold medal
and he got the honor of being a flagbearer.
I got goose bumps when I heard it.
I felt as happy at that time as I feel when
the national anthem plays after winning a gold medal.
I was proud because we had such a big team for the Asian Games.
There were so many senior athletes but I got
to be the flagbearer, so...
My enthusiasm for training doubled
and I wanted to prove myself.
I won the gold medal and set the national record too.
When Neeraj suffered an elbow injury,
he told me that he missed a couple of games.
He couldn't do it as his elbow was hurting.
He told us about the surgery and we were worried for him.
We didn't know how the surgery would go.
We realized that it was quite serious only after the surgery.
The doctors didn't say that it was serious
but the thought came to Neeraj's mind
that it might end his career.
My elbow was weak after the surgery
and I kept wondering
how I would be able to make a comeback.
So in big competitions like Diamond League
where world-class javelin throwers participate,
I saw that 85 or 86-meter throws
were getting gold medals.
The gold medal winners were throwing
in the range where I always throw.
But I knew that there was nothing I could do about it.
I did feel bad,
but I would only focus on my training.
Many kids who did not understand javelin throw
were influenced and motivated by him.
And now everyone wants to be like him.
I never thought we would
reach this level in this game.
I'm happy that the people in and around my village
acknowledge athletics now
because Haryana was always
known for combat sports.
But now, other games are acknowledged too
and every kid has a passion for a different game.
Neeraj, we are very close to achieving
what we have always dreamed of.
Because I made a wish on this same ground
that I must win a gold medal for my country.
And if my dream is fulfilled by you, Neeraj
nothing will make me prouder.
Neeraj, win the gold medal!
Come what may, I'll put in everything I have
and give it my best.