Panipat: Olympic gold medallist javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra’s mother Saroj Devi said she will send a special ‘churma’ (a popular delicacy from Haryana and Rajasthan) for Prime Minister Narendra Modi after the latter requested for it during a recent interaction with the athlete.
“We wish that Neeraj wins the gold medal again and get the opportunity to meet PM Modi again. Yes, this time I’ll send special churma made with ‘desi ghee’, ‘shakkar’ and ‘khand’,” Saroj Devi told IANS.
On Thursday, PM Modi hosted Paris Olympic-bound athletes at his residence to have a conversation with them. During such a chat with Neeraj, PM asked the javelin thrower to bring homemade ‘churma’ for him prepared by his mother.
Neeraj casually greeted the PM, saying, “Namaskar sir, kaise hain?” (Hello sir, how are you?) To which PM Modi replied with a chuckle, “Mai vaisa hi hu” (I am just the same).
PM Modi then joked, “Mera choorma abhi tak aaya nahi” (I haven’t received my churma yet), sparking laughter all around.
With a shy smile, Neeraj replied, “Is baar Haryana wala choorma khilayenge sir, pichli baar Delhi ka cheeni wala khaya tha” (This time I will treat you with churma from Haryana; last time we had the sugary one from Delhi).
The PM eagerly expressed his craving for homemade churma, saying, “Mujhe tumhari maa ke haath ka choorma khana hai” (I want to savour churma made by your mother).
After their humorous banter, PM Modi wished Neeraj all the best for the Paris Olympics, urging him to stay fit and injury-free.
Neeraj’s father Satish Kumar said his son detailed his training and preparations for the Olympics to PM Modi.
“Neeraj told PM that his training is going well and he’ll give his all to clinch the second gold medal for the country,” he said.
“He has missed some of the events in the past due to groin injury but now he has recovered and wants to focus on the Olympics. He wants to better his previous record and win a medal. He is currently training for 6-8 hours daily under the guidance of his coach and physio,” Satish added.
