Credits: X
India’s Golden Boy Neeraj Chopra shared a heartfelt message for his coach Klaus Bartonietz, who announced his retirement. Chopra announced his separation from long-time coach, who decided to draw curtains on his coaching career and return to Germany. Notably, the duo came together in 2019, and went on to achieve remarkable feats together including the 2020 Tokyo Olympics gold, Paris Olympics silver, two Asian Games golds and a World Championship title.
The 75-year-old had expressed his interest in ending the successful association with Neeraj and getting back home. He cited age and family reasons to put an end to the coaching career. The Indian athlete took to social media and shared a heartwarming message for his coach, stating that he is more than a mentor to Chopra.
I will miss US as a team: Neeraj Chopra’s emotional message to retiring coach
The two-time Olympic medallist took to X and shared an emotional message for his coach. Chopra thanked his coach for standing by his side in his lows and wished him a happy retirement. The 26-year-old posted a video on X and added, "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 by me through injury.”
He added, “You were there through the highs, and you were there even more through the lows. You were one of the quietest in the stands, but your words to me rang the loudest in my ears when I threw. I will miss the pranks and the laughs we shared, but more than anything, I will miss US as a team. Thank you for being a part of my journey. Thank you for allowing me to be a part of yours. Happy retirement, coach.”
