Neeraj Chopra mania sweeps through Asian Games Village | Asian Games 2023 News – Times of India
[ad_1]
Five years ago, a quiet, shy and callow Neeraj Chopra, no worry creases then, nor any now, would enter the athletes village in Jakarta. His debut Asian Games, he’d hope he’d run into some of the Indian and continental sporting stars, rub shoulders with the elite, even ask for autographs and selfies.
Neeraj was just beginning to chart his own path to be among the world’s best javelin thrower. Barely three years later, he would become the hero of the Indian masses in the most uncomplicated manner, travelling unbelievably light, no carry-on baggage, with securing the country’s first Olympic gold medal in track and field, that basic Olympic endeavour. It would be the first such gold in the history of independent India.
One has to be consistent not only in throws but in training too: Neeraj Chopra
Cut to Hangzhou Asiad and the same dude, is today among the one most sought after superstars at the Games Village. Athletes from India and other nationalities have been queuing up to get autographed and clicked with India’s own version of Mr Big Easy.
The superstardom for Neeraj, after his Olympics and World Championships win, here is to be seen to be believed. Greeted by loud shrieks from athletes and volunteers alike at the village, the clamour to get to him, catch his attention reached such a crescendo that he had to be escorted out of the ‘Team Processing Centre’-the meeting point for media interviews on request-by a posse of Athletics Federation of India (AFI) officials and security staff on Saturday, his planned interaction with Indian journalists ending prematurely.
It has rarely happened that the Indian cricketers, worshipped as gods back home, would express their wish for autographs and selfies with an athlete from the Olympic background. But this is Neeraj Chopra, a rare, rare jewel in the Indian context. So, it did happen when the members of the Indian women’s cricket team, showered their unabashed adulation on him.
So, how does it feel to be Neeraj today? The disarming grin, the plain answer, the salt of the earth: “A great feeling, I feel nice meeting other Indian athletes and from different nationalities too, seeking my autographs or requesting me for selfies and pictures.
“I too love talking to them and being clicked. The cricketers had told me that they felt nice to meet me and wished me luck for my event,” Neeraj replied to TOI’s query. What has changed since his first experience as a fresher at the village in 2018? “Several things. 2018 was just the start of my career. The only big competition I had competed in was the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games earlier that year and Asian Games was the next big stop. A lot has changed since then. My dreams of winning at the Olympics and becoming a world champion have been realised, so it feels nice.
“Don’t forget, this is the first time I am going into a major competition as a defending champion, so it’s a different emotion totally. The atmosphere is great and several athletes and volunteers have been recognising me as an Olympic and world champion. It’s always nice to be at these multisport events. I went to the track yesterday and it felt nice,” he added.
