Neeraj Chopra on Wednesday put up a heartfelt post on X, bidding farewell to his coach for the last five years Klaus Bartonietz who is set to retire. (More Sports News)
The 75-year-old coach had earlier expressed his inability to continue with Chopra citing family commitments. Neeraj, who became the first Indian to win an Olympic gold in Athletics under the guidance of Bartonietz, poured his heart out in a small post on social media platform X.
"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," Chopra wrote in X in an emotional tribute.
"You stood by me through injury. You were there through the highs, and you were there even more through the lows."
Chopra also highlighted the coach’s quiet yet impactful presence.
"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," he added in the post.
The German first came on board as a biomechanics expert but he later became Chopra's coach after Uwe Hohn fell out with the Athletics Federation of India and the Sports Authority of India.
Under Bartonietz, Chopra won Tokyo Olympics gold, Paris Games silver, became world champion and Diamond League champion, besides becoming Asian Games gold medallist.
Indian athletics chief coach Radhakrishnan Nair said the German's contract expired after the Paris Olympics and a new coach is likely be appointed before the end of the year.
(With PTI Inputs)
