Sprinting great Usain Bolt was from my batch, but I missed the opportunities of scholarships offered to me by a couple of American universities, otherwise things would have been different.

In 1999, I competed in my first national (Senior National Championship in Lucknow) and was placed eighth. But I was lucky that my name was included in the national camp.

I always got an advantage of my height. Then Athletics Federation of India (AFI) secretary Lalit Bhanot sir took note of my height and asked me if I want to join the national camp and I promptly said yes. Immediately after the nationals I went to National Institute of Sports, Patiala, and the break played an important role in my sporting career.

Later on I won a medal in the 2002 junior world championship – bronze in discus throw. It was my first big break at international-level. I became the country’s first athlete to win a medal in the world athletics championship across the age groups.

The athletes, who are ruling the world in the current scenario or had ruled the world athletics in the seniors’ section in the last one decade, got themselves established at the junior circuit in the same period when I won the medal.

Sprinting great Usain Bolt was with me at the time of the 2002 junior world championship held in Jamaica. He won silver in the 200m sprint and I got a bronze in the discus throw. Numbers of players who are the world leaders today or had ruled in the past one decade are from the batch of 2000 and 2002 junior world championship.

Somehow I didn’t get much family support and moreover I let go of the opportunities of scholarships offered to me by a couple of American universities, otherwise things would have been different. But I am happy that I have come so far and am still competing at international-level.

Neeraj Chopra has really made all of us proud and he has broken a mental barrier by clinching gold in the Olympics – 2020 Tokyo. Now you will see more Indian athletes knocking at the world-level in the coming Olympics.