New Delhi: Javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra has been handed the honour of being the Indian contingent’s flag bearer at the upcoming Asian Games in Jakarta and Palembang. The announcement was made by Dr. Narinder Batra, President of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) at a send-off ceremony for the Indian contingent in New Delhi on Friday.

The 20-year-old Chopra’s name had been doing the rounds for the position. The Panipat boy’s career graph has only gone up ever since he won the Junior World Championship gold in 2016. Earlier this year, he set a national record at the Federation Cup in Patiala where he threw 85.94m. At the Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, he bettered it with a throw of 86.47m. At the IAAF Diamond League in Doha, he threw a sensational 87.43m, shattering the national record and achieving his personal best in the process. He finished fourth in the competition.

In the build up to his first Asian Games, Chopra won a gold at Savo Games in France. No Indian javelin thrower has won an Asian Games gold and Chopra looks set to change that around. Former hockey captain Sardar Singh was India’s flag bearer at the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon.