CWG'18: Neeraj Chopra strikes javelin gold with season-best throw

Indian javeline thrower Neeraj Chopra bagged a gold medal at the ongoing 21st edition of the Commonwealth Games after registering a season-best effort of 86.47 meters in the finals here on Saturday.

Neeraj, who hails from Khandra village of Panipat, not only added his name in an elite list of Indian athletes to clinch gold in their CWG debut but also became the first Indian javelin thrower to clinch gold in the ongoing edition.

Meanwhile, the 20-year-old also became the second javelin thrower overall to pick a medal in the prestigious quadrennial event, with the first being Kashinath Naik, who took home bronze in the 2010 Delhi edition of the Games.

Neeraj's gold is also India's fifth-ever medal in athletics at the Commonwealth Games.

Milkha Singh (440 yards, 1958), Krishna Poonia (women's 4x400m and women's discus, 2010) and Vikas Gowda (men's discus, 2014) had only won gold previously.

With this, India's medal tally in the Games increases to 48, comprising of 21 gold, 13 silver and 14 bronze.