<p>Indian companies and governments promised cash and gifts worth more than two million dollars to javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra after he won India's first ever Olympic athletics gold medal.</p>.<p>The 23-year-old farmer's son, who two years ago underwent surgery on a career-threatening elbow injury, threw 87.58 metres in the Tokyo Olympic stadium on Saturday to send his country into raptures.</p>.<p>Chopra led India's most successful Olympics ever with a gold, two silver medals and four bronze.</p>.<p>He will lead a cash bonanza for the winning athletes -- the government in his home state of Haryana said it would give Chopra a Rs 6 crore ($800,000) bonus.</p>.<p><strong>Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/grit-tears-glory-stars-of-indias-best-olympic-performance-1017488.html" target="_blank">Grit, tears, glory: Stars of India's best Olympic performance</a></strong></p>.<p>Other state governments offered another $400,000 between them and a leading education company promised $270,000.</p>.<p>Chopra said he hoped the Olympic gold would be a turning point for his country's athletes.</p>.<p>"In athletics, I feel we have missed medals by fine margins over the years. So this medal was important," he said.</p>.<p>"Now that I have won, I feel we can do anything."</p>.<p>Chopra was up against the previously in-form Johannes Vetter of Germany who had thrown a season's best of 96.29 metres before the Olympics, but had an off day and failed to qualify for the throw-off as one of the top eight.</p>.<p>"If the first throw is good, then you grow in confidence. My second throw was also stable," Chopra told reporters of the throw in the second round that won the title.</p>.<p>"I wasn't sure of the gold (after that effort), but knew I had thrown my best.</p>.<p>"We can't bring thoughts of gold into our minds (during the competition). Such thoughts are dangerous, then there is a risk that we may not put the required effort.</p>.<p>"Now I want to <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/sports/other-sports/olympic-gold-in-his-pocket-chopra-now-eyes-90m-throw-1017458.html" target="_blank">achieve the 90-metre mark</a> as soon as possible," he added.</p>.<p>Byju Raveendran, owner of the Byju's education tech company that is chipping in for a bonus, said India had to make its athletes "heroes so that we transform ourselves from a sport loving nation to a sport-playing nation".</p>.<p>The Indian cricket board, the <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/sports/bcci-announces-cash-rewards-for-olympic-medallists-neeraj-chopra-to-get-rs-1-crore-1017304.html" target="_blank">BCCI</a>, and the Chennai Super Kings Indian Premier League team vowed to give $135,000 each and Chopra will also get $100,000 from the Indian Olympic Association.</p>.<p>Other firms offered free air travel, luxury cars and cash gifts that took Chopra's bonus over two million and more was expected before he returns to India.</p>.<p>All of the Indian medal winners can expect big cash rewards for their return, with the IOA offering $53,750 for a silver, and $33,500 for a bronze.</p>.<p>India's cricket board said they would give $168,000 to the men's hockey team for its bronze medal -- the first in four decades. And state governments also promised hundreds of thousands to the team.</p>.<p>After wrestler Mirabai Chanu gave India a silver on day one of the competition and said she craved pizza, a well-known chain said it would give her <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/specials/upon-mirabais-wish-to-eat-pizza-dominos-offers-her-free-pizzas-for-life-1012710.html" target="_blank">pizza for life</a>.</p>.<p>India's other medallists were male wrestler Ravi Dahiya, who won silver, while badminton ace P V Sindhu, wrestler Bajrang Punia, boxer Lovlina Borgohain and the men's hockey team won bronzes.</p>.<p>The medal count and stacks of cash is a dramatic turnaround for India after its athletes won just two silvers at the 2016 Rio Olympics.</p>.<p>Its sportspeople have long complained about a lack of resources and many former sports heroes fell into poverty after finishing their careers and have needed help from foundations such as one run by cricket icon Sunil Gavaskar.</p>.<p>Keshav Chandra Datt, a double Olympic hockey gold winner who recently died aged 95, was one of 19 former sports internationals given monthly cash allowances by Gavaskar's The Champs Foundation.</p>.<p>The former India captain told AFP the 22-year-old foundation provides assistance to "Indian internationals who after retirement are struggling to get on in life" and keeps their identity hidden to avoid any embarrasment.</p>
<p>Indian companies and governments promised cash and gifts worth more than two million dollars to javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra after he won India's first ever Olympic athletics gold medal.</p>.<p>The 23-year-old farmer's son, who two years ago underwent surgery on a career-threatening elbow injury, threw 87.58 metres in the Tokyo Olympic stadium on Saturday to send his country into raptures.</p>.<p>Chopra led India's most successful Olympics ever with a gold, two silver medals and four bronze.</p>.<p>He will lead a cash bonanza for the winning athletes -- the government in his home state of Haryana said it would give Chopra a Rs 6 crore ($800,000) bonus.</p>.<p><strong>Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/grit-tears-glory-stars-of-indias-best-olympic-performance-1017488.html" target="_blank">Grit, tears, glory: Stars of India's best Olympic performance</a></strong></p>.<p>Other state governments offered another $400,000 between them and a leading education company promised $270,000.</p>.<p>Chopra said he hoped the Olympic gold would be a turning point for his country's athletes.</p>.<p>"In athletics, I feel we have missed medals by fine margins over the years. So this medal was important," he said.</p>.<p>"Now that I have won, I feel we can do anything."</p>.<p>Chopra was up against the previously in-form Johannes Vetter of Germany who had thrown a season's best of 96.29 metres before the Olympics, but had an off day and failed to qualify for the throw-off as one of the top eight.</p>.<p>"If the first throw is good, then you grow in confidence. My second throw was also stable," Chopra told reporters of the throw in the second round that won the title.</p>.<p>"I wasn't sure of the gold (after that effort), but knew I had thrown my best.</p>.<p>"We can't bring thoughts of gold into our minds (during the competition). Such thoughts are dangerous, then there is a risk that we may not put the required effort.</p>.<p>"Now I want to <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/sports/other-sports/olympic-gold-in-his-pocket-chopra-now-eyes-90m-throw-1017458.html" target="_blank">achieve the 90-metre mark</a> as soon as possible," he added.</p>.<p>Byju Raveendran, owner of the Byju's education tech company that is chipping in for a bonus, said India had to make its athletes "heroes so that we transform ourselves from a sport loving nation to a sport-playing nation".</p>.<p>The Indian cricket board, the <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/sports/bcci-announces-cash-rewards-for-olympic-medallists-neeraj-chopra-to-get-rs-1-crore-1017304.html" target="_blank">BCCI</a>, and the Chennai Super Kings Indian Premier League team vowed to give $135,000 each and Chopra will also get $100,000 from the Indian Olympic Association.</p>.<p>Other firms offered free air travel, luxury cars and cash gifts that took Chopra's bonus over two million and more was expected before he returns to India.</p>.<p>All of the Indian medal winners can expect big cash rewards for their return, with the IOA offering $53,750 for a silver, and $33,500 for a bronze.</p>.<p>India's cricket board said they would give $168,000 to the men's hockey team for its bronze medal -- the first in four decades. And state governments also promised hundreds of thousands to the team.</p>.<p>After wrestler Mirabai Chanu gave India a silver on day one of the competition and said she craved pizza, a well-known chain said it would give her <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/specials/upon-mirabais-wish-to-eat-pizza-dominos-offers-her-free-pizzas-for-life-1012710.html" target="_blank">pizza for life</a>.</p>.<p>India's other medallists were male wrestler Ravi Dahiya, who won silver, while badminton ace P V Sindhu, wrestler Bajrang Punia, boxer Lovlina Borgohain and the men's hockey team won bronzes.</p>.<p>The medal count and stacks of cash is a dramatic turnaround for India after its athletes won just two silvers at the 2016 Rio Olympics.</p>.<p>Its sportspeople have long complained about a lack of resources and many former sports heroes fell into poverty after finishing their careers and have needed help from foundations such as one run by cricket icon Sunil Gavaskar.</p>.<p>Keshav Chandra Datt, a double Olympic hockey gold winner who recently died aged 95, was one of 19 former sports internationals given monthly cash allowances by Gavaskar's The Champs Foundation.</p>.<p>The former India captain told AFP the 22-year-old foundation provides assistance to "Indian internationals who after retirement are struggling to get on in life" and keeps their identity hidden to avoid any embarrasment.</p>