The 2020 Tokyo Olympics closing ceremony was as beautiful and technologically sound as many people from all over the world had expected out of Japan as a country and it did not disappoint one bit. It also meant that many of the athletes will get to go back home and celebrate the spoils of their victory with their loved ones and get treated like the heroes they are.

Some athletes like Simone Biles got in a car parade down the street where she lives while other winners wrapped their medals around their necks and got drunk in their bus. For the one and only Indian gold medalist at the recently concluded quadrennial tournament Neeraj Chopra, the homecoming is going to be a lot of special.

In a conversation with The Hindustan Times, Neeraj’s mother Saroj Bala revealed the plans to welcome her boy who went away just as another athlete but who’s returning as a heartthrob and an inspiration to a million hearts.

“Desi ghee ka choorma” (a local delicacy prepared in clarified butter) will be ready for Neeraj, when he returns, said his mother Saroj Bala.

“Choorma is Neeraj’s favourite, whenever he comes home after a long break, he asks me to prepare choorma, and this time I will again welcome him with choorma as he will be returning with a gold medal,” she added, making no effort to hide her elation.

“Most of the time he remains away from home and comes to the village only once or twice in a year. He does not attend even marriages or other important functions in the village,” she said, referring to Chopra’s training schedule mostly keeping him away from home.

At the moment he stepped on the podium after watching the Indian flag being hoisted at the peak with the national anthem playing in the background, he did speak to his uncle Bhim for a brief moment before having to hang up. He did speak to his father on Sunday morning. “Neeraj spoke to me only for a few seconds and he was very happy and excited,” said Bhim.

“Gaad diya Papa lath,” those were the first words that came out of Neeraj’s mouth while speaking to his father after bagging the gold medal at the greatest sporting event in the world.

View the full article