Famous Personalities — Set 8
Haryana GK · प्रसिद्ध व्यक्तित्व · Questions 71–80 of 100
Neeraj Chopra's remarkable javelin throw of 87.58m that won him the Olympic gold was achieved at which Olympics?
Correct Answer: B. Tokyo 2020 (held 2021)
Neeraj Chopra's gold medal-winning javelin throw of 87.58m at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics (held in 2021 due to COVID-19 delay) made him India's first-ever Olympic athletics gold medalist. At Paris 2024, he threw 89.45m but won silver behind Arshad Nadeem of Pakistan (92.97m). He became the first Indian to win a World Athletics Championship gold (2023, Budapest). He is the most decorated Indian track-and-field athlete in history.
General Bipin Rawat, India's first Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) who died in a helicopter crash in 2021, had his education at which Haryana institution?
Correct Answer: B. Rashtriya Indian Military College (RIMC), Dehradun
General Bipin Rawat was born in Pauri, Uttarakhand (not Haryana) but spent significant time at military institutions with Haryana connections. Haryana has a significant presence in the Indian Armed Forces, with the state providing a large number of Army, Navy, and Air Force personnel per capita. The Rashtriya Military Schools and Army cantonments at Ambala, Karnal, Hisar, and Rohtak connect Haryana deeply to India's military heritage. Haryana's Jat Regiment has a glorious battle tradition.
Which Haryana city is associated with the birthplace of cricket legend Kapil Dev?
Correct Answer: C. Chandigarh
Kapil Dev was born in Chandigarh on January 6, 1959. Chandigarh is the capital city shared by Haryana and Punjab. Kapil Dev studied at DAV College, Chandigarh, and later attended Saint Edwards School. He is celebrated as Haryana's greatest sporting icon. The Kapil Dev Cricket Stadium in Chandigarh is named in his honor. He remains the only Indian cricket captain to have won a World Cup.
Rohtak is known as the 'City of Wrestlers' in Haryana. The traditional wrestling training center (akhara) culture is most prominent in which area?
Correct Answer: B. Rohtak-Jhajjar-Sonipat wrestling belt
The Rohtak-Jhajjar-Sonipat belt in Haryana is known as India's wrestling capital. This area has produced the highest number of national and international wrestlers per capita in India. Traditional wrestling akharas (training centers) are found in almost every village. The culture is reinforced by strong community support, SAI training centers in Sonipat, and the legacy of wrestlers like Sushil Kumar, Bajrang Punia, Ravi Dahiya, and Vinesh Phogat.
The famous 'Dangal' film (2016) directed by Nitesh Tiwari was based on the life of which Haryana wrestling family?
Correct Answer: B. Mahavir Singh Phogat and his daughters
The Bollywood blockbuster 'Dangal' (2016), starring Aamir Khan, was based on the true story of Mahavir Singh Phogat and his daughters — Geeta Phogat (Olympic wrestler) and Babita Phogat (Commonwealth Games gold medalist). Their village Balali in Charkhi Dadri district, Haryana, became famous after the film's release. The film earned over ₹2,000 crore worldwide and brought international attention to Haryana's wrestling culture and gender equality in sports.
Babita Phogat, the Commonwealth Games gold medalist wrestler, married which wrestler from Haryana?
Correct Answer: B. Vivek Suhag
Babita Phogat married wrestler Vivek Suhag in 2019. Both are from wrestling backgrounds in Haryana. Babita won gold at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in women's freestyle wrestling. She has also served as a BJP leader and has been active in Haryana politics after retiring from competitive wrestling. The Phogat family's wrestling legacy continues through multiple family members who are national and international level wrestlers.
Manu Bhaker became the first Indian to win two medals at a single Olympics. What was her second medal event at Paris 2024?
Correct Answer: B. 10m air pistol mixed team (with Sarabjot Singh)
Manu Bhaker won her second medal at Paris 2024 in the 10m air pistol mixed team event, partnering with Sarabjot Singh (also from Haryana, Ambala district). They won bronze together. Her first medal was individual bronze in 10m air pistol women's event. She had failed to qualify at Tokyo 2020 when her pistol malfunctioned. Her redemption arc and double-medal performance at Paris made her a national hero.
Sarabjot Singh, who won bronze at Paris 2024 Olympics in the mixed team shooting event, is from which Haryana district?
Correct Answer: A. Ambala
Sarabjot Singh is from Ambala district, Haryana. He won bronze with Manu Bhaker in the 10m air pistol mixed team event at Paris 2024 Olympics. He was born in 2001 in a village near Ambala. He trains at the Karni Singh Shooting Range and at national camps. His success at a young age reflects Haryana's growing excellence in shooting sports beyond wrestling and boxing.
Haryana has the most number of Olympic medals per capita in India. How many Olympic medals has Haryana contributed (approximately) across all games until 2024?
Correct Answer: C. 22+
Haryana has contributed over 22+ Olympic medals across all sports, making it the state with the highest number of Olympic medals per capita in India (considering its population of ~25 million). Key sports include wrestling, boxing, athletics (javelin), and shooting. The 2024 Paris Olympics alone saw Haryana-origin athletes win 5+ medals. Haryana's secret lies in its strong akhara (wrestling) culture, government sports infrastructure, and cash rewards for medal-winning athletes.
Neeraj Chopra's javelin world record holder coach Uwe Hohn threw ______ metres to set the world record in 1984.
Correct Answer: B. 104.80m
Uwe Hohn of East Germany set the world record in javelin throw with a massive 104.80m at Berlin in 1984. This record still stands as the last throw over 100m in the official format (the javelin specification was changed in 1986 to reduce distances). Hohn later coached Indian javelin throwers including Neeraj Chopra. The javelin coach connection is part of the story of Haryana's golden generation of athletes trained by international experts.