In an emotional tribute, Neeraj Chopra on Wednesday bid farewell to his coach Klaus Bartonietz.
Back in October, the German had expressed his inability to continue working with the Indian owing to family commitments and this drew the curtains on an outstanding five-year partnership with the star javelin thrower.
Chopra took to X and wrote that Bartonietz was ‘more than just a mentor.’
“I write this without knowing where to begin. Coach, you are more than just a mentor to me. Everything you taught has helped me grow both as an athlete and person. You have gone out of your way to make sure I was mentally and physically prepared for every competition,”
I write this without knowing where to begin.
Coach, you are more than just a mentor to me. Everything you taught has helped me grow both as an athlete and person. You have gone out of your way to make sure I was mentally and physically prepared for every competition. You stood… pic.twitter.com/kJxaPqmHmm
— Neeraj Chopra (@Neeraj_chopra1) November 6, 2024
Bartonietz helped mould Chopra into a world beater.
Under the German’s guidance, Chopra won the Olympic gold medal at Tokyo 2020 and thereafter, followed that up with a Diamond League title in 2022 and gold medals at the World Championships and Asian Games in 2023.
Chopra concluded his statement with a heartfelt thank you.
“Thank you for being a part of my journey. Thank you for allowing me to be a part of yours.”
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