Bas kuch din humare saath bitale: After Olympics Neeraj Chopra's family wants him to spend some time at home
Special churma and kheer will be waiting for Neeraj after the Olympics
Since the lockdown eased all over the country, Neeraj Chopra has hardly visited his home at the Khandra village in Panipat, Haryana. The ace javelin thrower spent a few months at (NIS) Patiala and then flew to Europe as part of his preparations for the Olympics.
After the Olympics, Chopra's near and dear ones want him to come back to his village and spend some days with the family.
"He hardly gets time to visit us. Even when he is in Patiala, he would spend maybe a night with us and then return to training. But after the Olympics, we will try and keep him for a few more days. However I think, if he gets a medal he will get even busier," laughs Bhim Chopra, Neeraj's uncle.
"He loves churma (wheat crust with sugar and clarified butter) and kheer (sweetened rice and milk). So whenever he visits the village we make sure that we cook kheer in plenty. This is Haryana's culture. Kheer toh bante hai roj, but woh aate hai toh special bante hai (We make kheer always, but if Neeraj is coming, it will be special)," his uncle added.
Neeraj doesn't like to have outside food and when at home, he would stick to the regular diet of roti (bread), sabzi (vegetables), chawal (rice), and nothing extravagant. Meditation is an integral part of his daily routine but as a kid, Chopra was very naughty and would indulge in various kinds of mischief.
"He could never sit idle at one place. We are a family of farmers and so we have cattle. Once he tied the tail of a buffalo like a knot. But he would never harm anyone and all his mischiefs revolved around playing pranks. And his cousins would be his partner-in-crime. They share a very close bond," uncle Bhim reminisced.
He believes that after taking to javelin, Neeraj has become more mature and serious in life. The sport has lent him a purpose in his life. And failures does not affect him too much.
"When his performances are not up to the mark he can handle himself well. He speaks to his friends, coaches and listens to music when he needs to overcome disappointments. Also, meditation helps him to remain composed," Bhim Chopra stated.
The patriotic fervour in the family runs deep and he believes that the medal is won by Neeraj, it will belong to the country than to the family.
Nevertheless, medal or no medal, they will be elated as they hope that their son will finally get to stay at home for some days after several exhausting years dedicating himself to his craft.