‘Rejoice, Neeraj belongs to all of you!’

Satish Singh sat in the packed front row, his eyes fixed on the television screen as Neeraj Chopra began his run in faraway Eugene, looking for the only medal missing from his cabinet. Mobbed by overzealous TV crew, Satish watched in stoic silence as his son landed a modest 82.39 metres off his second throw.

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World champion Anderson Peters had already logged consecutive 90m plus throws whereas Neeraj had started with a foul. His first legal attempt was the poorest he had thrown all season. “How do you feel?” Satish was asked. He mumbled a rehearsed response, something along the lines of faith and potential.

Dharam Singh, Neeraj’s grandfather, was beginning to tear up. The possibility of a medal-less finish was real, considering Neeraj’s failure to produce a good early throw. Dharam knew it, and his emotions were showing up.

The family patriarch, 76, had been up since 4 as usual. By 5, he had placed himself in front of his hookah. By 6, the television was up and running. By 6:30, the exclusive edition Mahindra XUV 700 —with Neeraj’s silhouette on the bonnet and the magical number 8758 on the registration plate — had been towed away to make room for 50 chairs.

“How do you feel?” he was quizzed. “He’ll do it, I hope,” Dharam Singh mumbled, more out of habit than conviction. By now, the action on TV had shifted to track events, giving enough time for the anticipation to rebuild and thoughts to gather. Gizmo-savvy youngsters scrambled their phones for updates. Older men tried to infuse confidence. “Have faith, he’ll do it,” they said.

Then, there was a roar. “86.37,” rumbled a voice from the back of the overflowing compound, drowning out the commotion. “86.37,” it went again. The cheer was instant, collective, deafening. The place throbbed as their hero appeared on the screen. “Go on, just do it,” they willed him on as the 24-year-old began his run. The throw itself was quite staple, but importantly, Neeraj had found his range.

He was fourth now, and Satish could afford to relax. “How do you feel?” was dealt with a little more purpose this time. Conversations now ranged from admiration for Peters to hope for his son. “Every athlete has his/her day. It’s Peters’s day today," he said. “But let’s not lose hope for a medal. Neeraj still has enough in the tank.”

As it turned out, he did. “88.13,” a voice thundered, and the men brought the house down. Neeraj had overtaken Tokyo silver medallist Jakub Vadlejch (88.09) to jump into the second spot, a maiden World Championships medal now well within reach.

When he finally appeared on the screen, cheers, whistles and applause consumed the place in a vortex of subliminal hope that grew with each stride. The noise hit the crescendo as Neeraj hurled the spear and let out the familiar guttural cry, his primal energy having lifted Khandra village.

Moments thereafter were a blur. Vadlejch’s last attempt went 82.88m, confirming silver for Neeraj, making him the second Indian after long jumper Anju Bobby George to medal at Worlds.

“Kar dikhaya chhore ne! (The boy has done it),” Satish exclaimed as sweets began getting distributed. Dharam Singh finally let go of his emotions and broke down in front of the cameras. “He is a special child, God’s gift to the nation. The medal belongs to the country,” he said.

“Neeraj has shown what a truly world-class athlete he is. Finally, India’s long wait for a World Championships medal is over,” uncle Bhim Chopra, choking with emotion and straddling congratulatory calls, said. Surender, Neeraj’s youngest uncle, beamed, “I am so proud. I knew he’ll do it. Even if he had made four fouls, he would have done it. He is very strong mentally. Never gives up.”

The boy who took up the sport to lose weight is now an Olympic champion and a Worlds medallist. He rides a Harley Davidson in Patiala and a Jaguar Mustang in Panipat. His social media following is off the charts. His movie-star looks have made him a hot property among advertisers. For Chopras though, he is still the naughty prankster with a need for speed.

“Oh, he loves his drives, but now a car escorts him whenever he takes his machines for a spin. He is a national treasure, so we make sure he remains safe,” Surender said.

“He is still the same, even though he rarely comes home. In the past decade, he must have been home for a total of 30 days. He is living his dream, but he knows all this is transient and people will love him only for the person that he is,” he continued.

Neeraj’s mother Saroj could barely stop grinning. Taking time out from dancing and singing, she threw a gem at the cameras, “Rejoice in his success. He belongs to all of you.”

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