No Indian is more in demand now than Neeraj Chopra.
Ever since he returned to the country after winning India’s only gold at Tokyo Olympics, which also happened to be the first athletics medal since the 1900 Games, everyone wants a piece of Neeraj. Felicitations and rewards have been raining on the javelin thrower.
The 23-year-old, however, had a health scare as he was down with fever and sore throat for a couple of days, IANS reported. Without taking a chance, he got himself tested for COVID-19 and, thankfully, the report was negative.
Having missed a function organized by the Haryana government on August 13, Neeraj was fit and healthy to attend President Ram Nath Kovind’s tea party for the Indian Olympic contingent on Saturday evening.
Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu also graced the occasion at Rashtrapati Bhavan Cultural Centre.
On Independence Day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has invited the entire Tokyo Games contingent to the Red Fort, and will interact with all of them personally.
Neeraj’s gold apart, India won two silver (Mirabai Chanu and Ravi Dahiya) and four bronze medals (PV Sindhu, Lovlina Borgohain, Bajrang Puniya and men’s hockey team) at Tokyo. It was their best medal haul at a single Games, surpassing the six they bagged at the 2012 London Olympics.