Neeraj Chopra has been the centre of attention ever since his elusive gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics but it seems like the exertion has taken a toll on him. Neeraj had to leave his welcome ceremony in Panipat midway due to high fever on Tuesday. Neeraj had fever a few days ago but tested negative for coronavirus. He just about recovered to attend the Independence Day event but on Tuesday, he had to be taken to the hospital.
Neeraj is the first Indian to win an athletics gold medal at the Olympics, only the second individual gold medallist at the Olympics from the country and a first athletics medal winner for independent India. Neeraj threw a fantastic 87.58m in the men’s javelin throw event to win the gold medal in Tokyo.
According to Times Now, Neeraj’s friends and family confirmed that the golden boy was uncomfortable during the ceremony and he got down from the stage during the ceremony in Panipat. He had been attending a car rally from Delhi to Panipat since morning and the journey took six hours, a double of the usual time.
Neeraj had been on medicines due to his situation and now, the heat and the exertion seems to have taken a toll on him. Neeraj’s family will have to wait to give him a grand welcome at home, the preparation for which were in full swing.
“He will be receiving a grand welcome, I have prepared ‘churma’ for him. We will keep his gold medal in the temple as it is after the blessings of God that he has reached these heights. I am looking forward to his arrival,” Neeraj’s mother Saroj Devi told ANI.
Another distant relative of Neeraj said, “We have made all the preparations. The welcome will be grand and all the relatives and the whole village is invited. The gold medal will be kept in the temple and some rituals will be performed. Food preparations for around 25 to 30 thousand people have been done which needed manpower of about 150 people. The whole village is in a festive mood since the day he has won the medal.”
Neeraj at a felicitation ceremony organised by sports minister Anurag Thakur, had revealed that he was in pain after his epoch-making performance in the Tokyo Games but it was worth enduring given the historic result he achieved
“I knew I had done something special, actually I thought I had achieved my personal best. The throw had gone really well,” Chopra said, referring to the 87.58m he achieved to win the gold. “The next day my body felt how special it was with all the pain but it was worth it.”
