Saroj Devi, mom of athlete Neeraj Chopra, speaks to PTI after his son gained Silver medal within the Javelin throw on the Paris Olympic, in Khandra village of Panipat district, on August 9, 2024.
| Photograph Credit score: PTI
Elated at her son’s silver medal, Neeraj Chopra’s mom Saroj Devi additionally expressed happiness for Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem, who broke the Olympic file to beat the Indian defending champion in Paris, saying that the latter can also be like her “little one”.
Neeraj Chopra’s Saroj Devi speaks concerning the javelin throw remaining.
| Video Credit score:
PTI
Chopra clinched the silver medal on the Paris Video games with a season’s finest throw of 89.45m after Nadeem pulled off an Olympic record-breaking effort of 92.97m on Thursday night time.
With the silver win, Chopra turned solely the third Indian and the primary in track-and-field to win back-to-back particular person Olympic medals.
“We’re very pleased with the silver, the one who received gold can also be our little one and the one who received silver can also be our little one….all are athletes, all work laborious,” Saroj informed PTI Movies in Khandra, Panipat, the place the household relies.
“Nadeem can also be good, he performs effectively, there isn’t any distinction between Neeraj and Nadeem. We received gold and silver there isn’t any distinction for us,” she added within the interview given on Thursday night time.
Each Chopra nd Nadeem are good associates off the sphere regardless of being rivals on it.
‘Churma’ awaits Neeraj on homecoming
Chopra’s fondness for “desi khana” is well-documented and his household is planning to welcome the two-time Olympic medallist together with his favorite dish “Churma” “He did very well. We’ll welcome him with churma which is his favorite. I’m delighted, persons are lighting firecrackers, we’re making ladoos,” Saroj added.
Chopra’s efficiency is creditable additionally due to the highly-competitive area during which as many as seven athletes went past the 86m mark.
“We’re very completely happy. He produced his season’s finest. All have been close to 88-89m so competitors was very robust. It isn’t about successful a gold or silver, however about successful a medal, and he did his finest,” Chopra’s aunt Kamlesh mentioned.
Chopra is one in every of India’s most adorned athletes, having gained the gold at each match together with the Olympics, World Championships, Diamond League, Asian Video games and the Commonwealth Video games.
“After Tokyo there was no medal left apart from silver, that was additionally wanted so he received it,” Kamlesh mentioned.
She mentioned that the household had an inkling that Chopra was unlikely to win a gold after Nadeem’s monstrous throw.
“After Nadeem’s throw (92.97m) we had a sense (that he’ll win gold) however he’s additionally our son, we’re pleased with him.
“He is additionally Asia’s son. We do not differentiate between Nadeem and Neeraj. Each have gotten gold and silver and we’re very completely happy,” she added.