Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday, December 23, hosted India’s javelin star Neeraj Chopra and his wife, Himani Mor, at his residence at 7 Lok Kalyan Marg in New Delhi. Sharing a photograph from the meeting, PM Modi wrote: “Met Neeraj Chopra and his wife, Himani Mor, at 7, Lok Kalyan Marg earlier today. We had a great interaction on various issues, including sports of course!”
In the picture, Neeraj was seen in an ivory-coloured sherwani, while the Prime Minister wore a black striped safari suit. Himani complemented the occasion in a green velvet jacket paired with a traditional outfit.
This was Neeraj’s first personal meeting with the Prime Minister in New Delhi. Earlier, PM Modi had interacted with him during official events for medal-winning athletes. The Haryana-born javelin thrower had been part of India’s Olympic athlete delegations in both 2021 and 2024, following his historic gold at the Tokyo Olympics and silver at the Paris Games.
Neeraj married Himani Mor in a private ceremony earlier this year, in January. Himani, a former national-level tennis player, has moved into sports management and is currently studying and working in the United States, where she also coaches and manages college women’s tennis teams.
Neeraj’s journey to the top of athletics is remarkable. Introduced to the javelin as a teenager while trying to lose weight, he quickly rose through the junior ranks, showcasing discipline, talent, and composure under pressure. His first major breakthrough came in 2016, when he won gold at the World U20 Championships in Poland with a world junior record throw of 86.48m — a performance that put India firmly on the global javelin map.
His defining moment came at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, where he threw 87.58m to win India’s first-ever Olympic gold in athletics. The achievement turned him into a national hero and sparked unprecedented interest in track and field across India. He followed this up with silver at the 2022 World Athletics Championships in Eugene and then clinched gold at the 2023 World Championships in Budapest, becoming the first Indian athlete to do so. Neeraj has also been a consistent performer on the Diamond League circuit, winning the 2022 title and frequently finishing among the top contenders.
Although he couldn’t defend his Olympic gold at the Paris Games last year, he returned with a silver medal, joining a select group of Indian athletes with multiple individual Olympic medals.
Now firmly established among the world’s athletics elite, Neeraj continues to carry India’s hopes at major global events and inspires a new generation of athletes to take up the javelin and aim high.