Amid fanfare, Olympics champion Neeraj Chopra longs for quiet life

Tribune News Service

Vinayak Padmadeo

Ahmedabad, September 30

Imagine being Neeraj Chopra. At 24, he is on top of the sports pyramid in India after winning virtually every available medal that his sport, javelin throw, has to offer.

At times though, he just wants to be left alone because every time he steps out anywhere in India, he is surrounded by selfie-hungry fans.

The same thing happened inside a hotel here, with fans, and even sports stars such as Gagan Narang and Anju Bobby George, wanting a selfie with Chopra. For precisely this reason, the reigning Olympics champion decided to quietly slip into the country when he returned from his Europe holiday after winning the Diamond League Finals trophy in Zurich early this month.

“I did this deliberately as I wanted to spend time at home. I also did not want to make a big entry. Hur baar dhol hi bajwana hai kya airport se jate hue (No need for dhols while leaving the airport. I do not want to do this all the time,” Chopra told The Tribune.

Back home at Haryana’s Khandra, Chopra went back to being a son to his mother who was more than happy to see him after six months.

“I was out of the country for six months so it was good to be back. I did not make any special demands this time, just plain home-cooked Haryanvi food,” Chopra said.

“Oh yes, I ate a few paranthas when it rained. I am allowed to eat everything now as I am in the off-season. It is not like the last time when I ate a lot. I am controlling what I eat these days. I learned this the last time, when I came back from the Olympics,” he added.

After the Zurich event, Chopra, along with an uncle and a few friends, went on a two-week holiday. He tried his hand at skydiving, canyon swing and paragliding, along with enjoying a helicopter ride. The group travelled across Switzerland before reaching Paris. “Once you are in Europe, visiting Paris is a must. Plus they are also hosting the Olympics in 2024,” Chopra said.

Living it up

“My uncle told me ‘whatever you will do, I will attempt it too’ and he did it. My aim to bring them along on this holiday was to get them to try adventure sports,” Chopra said. “Some were scared while attempting the canyon swing, and my uncle was a little scared during skydiving, but no one backed out. I had gone skydiving in Dubai earlier but the canyon was a new experience for me as well,” he added.

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