Neeraj Chopra opens up on meeting Roger Federer, reveals 20-time Grand Slam winner's love for Indian food
In an online interaction facilitated by his sponsors JSW Sports, javelin hero Neeraj Chopra expressed his excitement about meeting tennis legend Roger Federer earlier this year, describing it as an overwhelming experience.
FollowJavelin star Neeraj Chopra had an unforgettable encounter with tennis legend Roger Federer during a Swiss Tourism event in Switzerland earlier this year. In an online interaction facilitated by his sponsors JSW Sports, the World Championships gold-medalist expressed his excitement about meeting Federer, describing it as an overwhelming experience. Neeraj also disclosed that Federer shared valuable insights on prolonging one's career, which made a lasting impression on him.
"Yes, I met him in January this year. It felt good meeting him. It's great to meet a top level player from any sport. So it felt good. First of all, as a person, I felt positive vibes from him. Secondly, our chat. I only had one question in mind. I wanted to ask him about his lengthy career and how he was able to stay on top of the sport for a long time. I wanted to ask how he was able to maintain that," Neeraj said.
"I knew it was a completely different sport, but I wanted to ask him about his thought process. His thought process regarding playing time was the same. Like balancing what all events we should participate in. We can't play a lot as it means we will have to travel more and our training would be less. This could lead to high chances of injury," the javelin superstar added.
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Neeraj also disclosed that Federer has a strong affinity for Indian cuisine, ranking it among his top 5 favorites. The Indian star expressed his delight in conversing with Federer, describing the interaction as a fantastic experience.
"So these are things that I also think about. So that was it. The rest were normal talks. I asked if he had visited India and if he liked Indian food. So he told me, 'Indian food is in my top 5.' So it felt good," said Neeraj.
Neeraj's next competition will be in the Doha Leg of the Diamond League as he continues his preparations for the upcoming Olympics in Paris. The event in Doha is scheduled to commence on May 10. Following that, he will participate in the Paavo Nurmi Games in Finland in June.
