New Delhi: In a spectacular showcase of athletic prowess, BCCI secretary Jay Shah extended heartfelt congratulations to double Olympic medallist Neeraj Chopra for securing a silver medal at the prestigious Diamond League final held in Brussels on Saturday night. The Indian javelin thrower, who has already etched his name in history with a gold at the Tokyo Olympics, narrowly missed clinching the Diamond League title by a mere one centimetre, finishing second for the second consecutive year with an impressive throw of 87.86 meters. Anderson Peters of Grenada emerged victorious with a throw of 87.87 meters.

Neeraj’s latest achievement in Brussels adds another silver to his remarkable collection, following his historic gold at the Tokyo Games and a silver in Paris. Expressing his admiration for Neeraj’s consistent excellence, Jay Shah took to X (formerly known as Twitter) to commend him. He wrote, “@Neeraj_chopra1 has made India proud, growing from strength to strength, proving his mettle on yet another day. I am proud, as you score another silver at Brussels Diamond League and hope you keep bringing more glory to the nation!”

However, it’s important to note that despite finishing second in this highly competitive event, Neeraj did not receive a physical medal from the organizers. Similarly, Peters did not receive a medal for his top finish. This is because the Diamond League operates differently from traditional competitions; it does not award medals to the top three finishers.

The Diamond League is essentially a series of 14 meetings encompassing 16 different athletic disciplines. Athletes accumulate points throughout these meetings, and at the end of the 13th meeting, the top six performers in field events, top eight in 100m-800m races, and top ten in 1500m and long-distance events qualify for the grand finale.

Instead of awarding medals, the Diamond League honors the top eight athletes with points and cash prizes based on their final positions. For his commendable second-place finish, Neeraj Chopra will receive a cash prize of USD 12,000 (approximately Rs 10,06,599). On the other hand, Anderson Peters will be awarded the Diamond League trophy along with a cash prize of USD 30,000 (approximately Rs 25,16,497) for his triumph this season.

This unique format highlights the emphasis on consistent performance across multiple events rather than a single competition, making Neeraj Chopra’s achievements even more significant as he continues to bring pride and glory to India on the international stage.