The village of Khandra in Haryana's Panipat district was awash with emotions of elation and patriotism late on Thursday night as local hero Neeraj Chopra added another medal to his collection at the international stage. The 24-year-old javelin thrower, who had etched his name in history by claiming gold at last year's Tokyo Olympics, repeated his prowess with a sensational season's best throw of 89.45m at the Paris 2022 event to bag a well-deserved silver.
Back home in Khandra, celebrations were already underway as Chopra's impressive performance was being keenly followed on a giant screen set up especially for the occasion. Clad in the tricolor, over 300 ecstatic residents had gathered in the main street to cheer on their champion throughout the nail-biting competition. Loud cheers and slogans of ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai' rent the air as Chopra cementing his place on the podium with his final effort. The mood quickly turned festive, with firecrackers lighting up the night sky and laddoos being distributed all around in delight.
Chopra's success brought immense joy and a sense of pride to his family and village. His mother Saroj Devi, who had watched the event unfold at home alongside other relatives, expressed happiness at her son's stupendous achievement despite injury concerns. She proudly spoke of welcoming Chopra back with his favourite meal ‘choorma'. The inspiring small-town boy has undoubtedly energized the entire nation with his athletic brilliance on the world stage yet again. As the village geared up for a grand reception for its golden lad, Khandra celebrated a milestone chapter in Indian sports history late into the sweet night.
