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Neeraj Chopra, the Bolt of the Asian Games for fans, athletes
From shooters to equestrians, from multi-millionaire cricketers to women's basketball team — even foreign scribes — Neeraj mania has gripped everyone
The Games village at any major multi-sport event is where all the athletes, stars and minnows, mix together. They all sit on the same tables, go to the same counters, eat the same food. It is a unique environment where everyone is equal. But even then, the waves seem to part for certain superstars. For Liu Xiang, for Usain Bolt, for Simone Biles... for Neeraj Chopra?
At the Doha Asian Games in 2006, China's Xiang was the master of all he surveyed. He was the Olympic champion in the 110m hurdles, the Asian champion, the world record holder and the man who had proved to the world that "Asians can run very fast". People thronged around him, hoping that some of the magic could rub off on them too.
At London in 2012, sprint legend Bolt was a star and everyone else was a fan. When he had walked into the Village, he was greeted with whoops and yelps from the hundreds of fellow Olympians who clearly recognised that the Jamaican is first among equals. He even enlisted three of his Jamaican teammates, including a hulking discus thrower and a shot putter, to help him negotiate the crowd of well-wishers at the Village.
At Rio 2016, Biles won four gold medals and one bronze medal. She wasn't very well known at the start of the Games but in the closing ceremony, she found it difficult to manoeuvre her way through the crowd due to the persistent selfie requests. Everyone wanted a photo with her.
Neeraj hasn't attained the same kind of stardom yet but going by the scenes at the athletes' village in Hangzhou, he is mighty close. He is the reigning Olympic champion. He is the world champion. And there is no one else like him in the village. Qatar's Mutaz Essa Barshim is a reigning Olympic high jump champion but he finished third at the Worlds. Bahrain's Winfred Yavi is the 3000m steeplechase world champion but she is yet to compete at the Olympics. Here's a guy at the very top of the pyramid.
From medal-winning shooters to history-making equestrians, from multi-millionaire cricketers to the humble women's basketball team -- even foreign scribes -- Neeraj mania has gripped everyone.
The 25-year-old reached the athletes' village on Thursday -- he flew in from Switzerland where he is based -- and it didn't take long for the news to travel. Later, the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) tweeted a picture of Chopra at the dinner table with his physiotherapist Ishaan Marwaha, biomechanics expert Dr Klaua Bartonietz, fellow javelin thrower Kishore Jena, AFI president Adille Sumariwalla and deputy chef-de-mission Ravinder Chaudhary.
The women's basketball team was the first to meet him. "They wanted a picture with Neeraj, and Neeraj being the guy he is, was very sweet to them. He was quite tired after the long fight but didn't hesitate to oblige the girls," Chaudhary said. Friday morning at breakfast, after he had eaten fruits and cereal, Chopra was met by a number of athletes who stopped by to greet him and wish him the best for his event. Men's javelin final is set to take place on October 4 with Chopra a firm favourite to defend his crown.
Gold won, target reset
The mad craze for Chopra was felt at the Fuyang Yinhu Sports Centre too where Indian shooters continued their dream run. "Oh, he is here? I am so, so excited to meet him," exclaimed Palak Gulia moments after winning the 10m air pistol gold medal on Friday.
"He is such an inspiration, Just to be around him and watch him in flesh and blood will be surreal. I want to ask him the secret of winning so much and so consistently," the 17-year-old, who hails from Jhajjar in Haryana little over 100 kilometres from Chopra's native Panipat, said.
Esha Singh, the 18-year-old pistol shooter who ended her maiden Asiad with four medals, also has Chopra on her radar. "Now that my events are over, I can look to meet some of my idols such as PV Sindhu, Nikhat Zareen, and Neeraj Chopra. I believe all three are truly inspirational and it will be great to get a peek into their mindset," she said.
Rifle shooter Ashi Chouksey, who won the 10m air rifle team silver, was finding it tough to contain her excitement. "Someone told me Neeraj is staying close to our building, which means we can actually bump into the Olympic champion anytime," she giggled.
The hysteria surrounding Chopra surpasses national boundaries. Hideaki Kato, a journalist with Japanese daily Asahi Shimbun first came to know of Chopra during the Tokyo Olympics where the Indian won a historic gold. On Thursday, Kato sought out a few Indian journalists to understand the Neeraj phenomenon.
"I hear Chopra is a huge superstar in India and he appears a very decent boy. I have watched his competition on television and want to meet him. I hear he has brought about a javelin revolution in India," Kato, who promised to attend the javelin event, said.
With India fielding women's and men's cricket teams for the first time in the Asian Games, the cricketers have been drawn in by the buzz too. The Harmanpreet Kaur-led women's team is back in India after winning the gold medal, but vice-captain Smriti Mandhana and wicketkeeper batter Richa Ghosh had expressed their admiration for the javelin superstar.
"I would have really wanted to meet him but we will be gone before he lands. Multi-discipline events give us the rare chance to meet heroes from other sports and given a chance, I would have liked to meet Neeraj and pick his brains on the mental side of the sport," Ghosh had said after the final.
"We have always seen top athletes like Neeraj Chopra winning medals at the Olympics and felt sad that we couldn't get that experience. If cricket does become a part of the Olympics, we will hopefully get that chance. Neeraj certainly is an inspiration," added Mandhana.
Rinku Singh, who will be part of the men's cricket team, also had a fanboy moment with Chopra when he got a picture clicked with him at the airport. Earlier this month, Singh, in an interview to News18, had expressed his desire to meet the javelin ace in Hangzhou.
Equestrian Anshu Agarwalla, who created history on Thursday by becoming the first individual dressage medallist at the Asian Games for India, is also looking forward to cap his dream stay in Hangzhou with a meeting with Chopra. The dressage team met badminton star PV Sindhu on Friday and Agarwalla hopes to spend some time with Chopra soon.
"That would really be awesome. He is a great athlete and a wonderful inspiration and I want to meet him before leaving Hangzhou," he said.
Safe to say, Neeraj mania is here, and by the looks of it, is going to stay.
