Norris Pritam on Neeraj Chopra's Biography & the State of Athletics

[00:00:00] Hello and welcome to this podcast with the Quint. My name is Pratik and today I have a fellow journalist with me

[00:00:07] By the way, when people call you like a veteran journalist or an experienced journalist does that make you feel untypical?

[00:00:13] Yes, but men say it's okay, women say it's a veteran I feel.

[00:00:16] Actually I feel bad.

[00:00:18] So I can call you a veteran journalist. Sometimes they call you an uncle which is worse.

[00:00:24] But in terms of numbers here, yes. So we have a journalist with so many years of experience on his side

[00:00:31] He has written this book about Nira Chopra, the man who made history.

[00:00:36] It's written by our guest today in our history term and we're going to have some really interesting conversations about Indian sports about Nira Chopra of course.

[00:00:46] But as his book is, we're going to have a conversation about the deeper issues and bottlenecks with the Indian athletics.

[00:00:55] So why Nira Chopra? He wasn't just the Olympic glory. Did you feel like, okay I'll be part of this glorious moment or what was the first thing I did?

[00:01:04] As I told you earlier, I didn't go to Tokyo and I was watching the television and some people said, oh, this time I didn't go on and he said, well I was also feeling bad.

[00:01:13] And then I happened to meet a friend, a fellow journalist and then he said why don't you write a book on, I can't write.

[00:01:20] I mean I can write a 1000 word article in maybe half an hour flat or maybe 2000 for a certain magazine cover story which I've written.

[00:01:29] But this I think it's not my cup of tea. You know, not try and just think about 50 stories. It's only 50,000 words.

[00:01:36] So until publisher came and we had a meeting and lunch, all lunch and he said how soon?

[00:01:43] Maybe in a month's time. So what? So I thought that he thought that one month was a very long period.

[00:01:50] Finally this after-dation game, this was the only time when he is going back to Europe to train for Paris Olympic Games.

[00:01:57] So it was a window where he was not going to win anything. And that's how the book came now.

[00:02:04] So when you're observing a personality so closely as a writer and as like just a general observer do you feel like you somehow know him?

[00:02:15] Like if I want to ask a question because obviously we can't ask Nira right now, you are the closest person to Nira's that we can get hold of.

[00:02:23] If I ask a question address to Nira's, do you think he'll be able to justify an answer from his side?

[00:02:29] Okay, so Nira's. Why Javalin? Why and how Javalin?

[00:02:34] How Javalin because it wasn't Javalin. It wasn't even athletics as people know I've also written and he was very fat.

[00:02:43] And in fact I wanted to thank his grandmother for feeding him onto Malay and Dhu and Kriim.

[00:02:51] So we came in fact that's why he had a reason to go to his dad even to his dad.

[00:02:55] If his grandmother had not fed him on this maybe he would have been a farming educate after some doing some fieldwork.

[00:03:05] So because to shed, we wouldn't have had a...

[00:03:08] We wouldn't have had an Indian, wouldn't have had a medal.

[00:03:10] So he went to Pani Parth and to practice, not to practice him to do some exercises.

[00:03:16] And there he saw when somebody throwing a Javalin and he said, what is this?

[00:03:20] Somebody said it's real. He didn't know that there's a sport in there.

[00:03:23] No, never been to a sports field. In his village there are only fields.

[00:03:27] There are no sports. Unfortunately not even now when it's become an Olympic champion, there is no sport facility there.

[00:03:33] In his village. Absolutely, mill. Ministers have gone there.

[00:03:37] Everybody has gone to congratulate him. Pictures with him, photo up and everything.

[00:03:41] But nobody had cared about to have at least a playing field.

[00:03:44] So there the children who are inspired by him can also play something.

[00:03:48] So any sort of Javalin, I see ask what is this? Somebody said Javalin.

[00:03:51] So let me try. They gave it to him and because he was already fed on milk and all day through farther than many youngsters who were training for Javalin.

[00:04:00] And that's how he caught onto Javalin.

[00:04:03] And he didn't have money to buy his own Javalin.

[00:04:07] So once all his chacha and family members, they were all pulled in to buy a Javalin for him.

[00:04:13] And for that he and his friend they went to merit with the sports industry.

[00:04:17] They brought one Javalin from there. They went to the morning, came back at evening.

[00:04:23] By the time they came it was already dark. We kept the Javalin at home and he slapped next to him.

[00:04:28] He didn't even sleep. He was lying down waiting for the sunrise so that he could go to the morning.

[00:04:34] And the next morning when he and his friend went and I think till afternoon they kept throwing the Javalin.

[00:04:39] And as a result they were massive pain in their animals.

[00:04:43] It was a childhood lesson.

[00:04:44] The technique can all nothing just...

[00:04:46] No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. I'm just throwing like that.

[00:04:48] Just watching people.

[00:04:49] I think while he was a national player he was still learning techniques from YouTube right?

[00:04:55] Yes.

[00:04:56] Because Javalin, let me tell you because I'm involved in athletics for about 45 years.

[00:05:02] Javalin is not now, it was the weakest event in athletics in India.

[00:05:08] The weakest event.

[00:05:09] And we say that swimming and athletics, there are the mothers sports.

[00:05:13] Exactly. But in India we are the weakest in those two sports.

[00:05:16] We call it a nation of water but as many as we have of a few, we don't have.

[00:05:22] And athletics also, first of all it's a very demanding sport.

[00:05:27] It's about 80 to 85% physical effort will power and the rest is technique.

[00:05:32] Unlike in cricket for example even if somebody was very fat...

[00:05:36] We have seen...

[00:05:37] We have seen, I don't know what you think.

[00:05:40] I don't know either.

[00:05:41] We have seen.

[00:05:42] They are unfit to play any sport but they can play cricket because 90% skill.

[00:05:47] If you know standing there, if you know how to hold the bat and you face the baller,

[00:05:51] you can do without even being fit.

[00:05:53] So there are players who can't feel, they find a place to hide themselves in the field

[00:05:58] but yet they are great cricketers.

[00:06:00] But it can't happen in athletics.

[00:06:01] It's not a make-up break factor.

[00:06:03] It can't happen in athletics.

[00:06:04] Behind needed success there were sponsors, government, the prime minister, everyone.

[00:06:11] And this is your saying even before the gold.

[00:06:14] Even before the gold.

[00:06:15] That resulted in gold.

[00:06:16] That resulted in gold.

[00:06:17] I mean I know some very good players.

[00:06:20] Whenever they had problems they used to go to Turkwan, Gait and Pa.

[00:06:23] Yes.

[00:06:24] Delhi and get some money.

[00:06:25] Mahaleshwale Gapaz.

[00:06:26] There were no physiotherapists or a few to somebody who knew sport.

[00:06:31] But in this case when his elbow was hurt...

[00:06:35] He had a surgery as well.

[00:06:37] And one of the best leading doctors in Indian partywala...

[00:06:41] He really picked up the pieces, broken pieces of elbow and pasted them back.

[00:06:46] All the time he was in South Africa, Turkey, either competing or training.

[00:06:50] So Pani Pati last four or five years I think he hardly stayed in Pani Pati.

[00:06:54] And is that rare for Indian athletes to train?

[00:06:56] Oh yes, no.

[00:06:57] Not like him.

[00:06:58] Siddharth Singh who came seventh in Olympic Games in Asian, double Asian Games.

[00:07:03] He went to Montal Games three days before his event when he did not have seen

[00:07:09] even the artificial survival of the tartan track which was used in 1976.

[00:07:13] He was training in Delhi on grass.

[00:07:16] So I think he had never seen it?

[00:07:17] No, there wasn't any.

[00:07:19] There was no exposure.

[00:07:21] At least in that aspect him and I are the same.

[00:07:24] He had never seen it.

[00:07:27] But he had to run on that.

[00:07:30] So even there the first time when he ran the first round of the race

[00:07:33] he had stepped on a tartan synthetic track.

[00:07:36] Wow.

[00:07:37] And after first round and semi-final he created a ration record

[00:07:41] and his legs were full, so tired and there was no physio.

[00:07:45] So these people went in those circumstances.

[00:07:48] Even Ptu Ushar, she went to take part in hurdles.

[00:07:50] She was not a hurdle.

[00:07:51] She was a good sprinter.

[00:07:52] She didn't know how to hurt her.

[00:07:54] And that's why she came forth.

[00:07:56] Only if she had a couple of hurdle races she would have been a medal in 1984.

[00:08:01] So in that respect Niraaj was very lucky.

[00:08:06] The games got postponed.

[00:08:10] In 20, the games were taken place.

[00:08:12] He was injured.

[00:08:13] Forget about the gold.

[00:08:14] He would not have been able to take part.

[00:08:16] So games got postponed and this is something that even he admits.

[00:08:20] Yes.

[00:08:21] It's not like a thing for him.

[00:08:24] He gets my Kabiliyat pick it out.

[00:08:26] No, of course he trains very hard and very sincere.

[00:08:30] I mean whenever he's taking only last month he has eaten some paratha

[00:08:34] or something which he likes.

[00:08:35] At the age of three years he didn't touch.

[00:08:38] So he went to Paneepa to what?

[00:08:40] To have parathas and Churma which is mother makes.

[00:08:44] Otherwise the rest of the time when he's European that boiled food

[00:08:48] and he was vegetarian.

[00:08:50] And then he started taking some, somebody said no, no you must take protein

[00:08:53] you must take chicken and mutton started eating mutton, that too boiled.

[00:08:57] No oil, nothing.

[00:08:59] So it's a hard sacrifice, it's a hard work but notwithstanding

[00:09:03] the kind of luck that he had.

[00:09:05] First of all does that sort of generate some sort of resentment in the older athletes

[00:09:12] towards the end of the time.

[00:09:14] Well, even if they resent they can't do much.

[00:09:16] There is a lot of frustration and which I have written.

[00:09:20] I've quoted Siddharth saying Ashwani Natchapah, Harkamalji saying all contemporaries

[00:09:26] of those I have written all that.

[00:09:29] And unanimously they all said yes no doubt he's a great athlete, very good performance

[00:09:35] India, the Olympic champion.

[00:09:36] But in our days if we had got such facilities if not gold maybe we would have won a bronze medal

[00:09:42] which is true I agree with that because I've seen it myself.

[00:09:45] People are somebody you ask how did you get into sport?

[00:09:49] My father's sold a band, my father sold a bell even with Neeran.

[00:09:54] Even with Neeran.

[00:09:55] All is fortunately he had four chacha's.

[00:09:58] They all pulled in 200 rupees, 200 rupees that's how they're supporting him.

[00:10:03] Initially of course now he has got the biggest house, it's kind of big Havali, three four

[00:10:07] story Havali in Neerapani.

[00:10:09] And credit to him I asked him why not in some bigger town you can afford certain Sharmaya

[00:10:14] Gautam and I also may be in Garbanaunga.

[00:10:16] So then how is he as a person?

[00:10:18] Fantastic, brilliant person.

[00:10:20] By the way while reading this book I realize that he's younger than me.

[00:10:23] And I have so many Sharamahayi who studies what we are doing or what we are doing.

[00:10:28] No I'm not like that.

[00:10:30] I mean basically again divine intervention stars where you're born, what is your lineage and what kind of support you get.

[00:10:37] So everything in this case everything was put in place.

[00:10:40] Since when have you been observing Neerapani?

[00:10:43] I had seen him, I had read about him so one day two friends of mine have decided let's go to the village

[00:10:52] and hoping we will get to see him.

[00:10:55] And that time the book was something in my mind so I essentially I went to see him and to get something on the book.

[00:11:03] The book told is not there.

[00:11:05] And since he has been winning his chacha's and his father and all they are also kind of stars in their village.

[00:11:13] So they are like a Pradhan.

[00:11:15] Neerachka chacha.

[00:11:17] Everything is this Neerachka Papa.

[00:11:19] He is related to Neerachka's house.

[00:11:21] This is Neerachka's car. Everything is a Neerach brand.

[00:11:24] My Papa has not shown this episode yet.

[00:11:26] He will be like that, look at the younger boy.

[00:11:29] He will be in his village and he will be in the name of the village.

[00:11:31] So when we went his uncle, chacha's and father everyone sitting and so I ran out of questions to them.

[00:11:39] Because how long can you order us to people?

[00:11:42] And I said how to spend some more time hoping Neerachka would appear.

[00:11:46] And you know in village they have a big hookah with one tube that he smells like passes on.

[00:11:52] So I said let me also try.

[00:11:54] I started listening to him sometimes and I had never smoked and did like this.

[00:11:59] I started listening to him.

[00:12:00] This is also typical journalist behavior.

[00:12:02] Smoking to get in the circle.

[00:12:04] I wanted to go past time.

[00:12:06] At some talking point I wanted and when I was so angry, I was like a small bird.

[00:12:12] La Pani came and took some 15 minutes.

[00:12:14] There was a chai figure.

[00:12:15] And we were about to get up and a huge car came and I saw the car.

[00:12:20] So I told his chacha, where is my kitchen?

[00:12:22] And he was in Patiala so he had come.

[00:12:26] And the first thing he does is touches my feet.

[00:12:29] And he said, you are my name, I am from the village.

[00:12:31] I said, come here, sit here and order.

[00:12:33] So I asked some questions and all.

[00:12:35] I was emotional myself because I have seen some of the very great things

[00:12:41] and they were also legend at least.

[00:12:44] And they were also very polite but he took the cake.

[00:12:48] I think he was much more than them.

[00:12:50] That is a rarity when it comes to superstar athletes.

[00:12:53] Not tracking field stars.

[00:12:55] Cricketers, I hate.

[00:12:58] That is the thumbnail opening title, everything on this episode.

[00:13:04] The Paris Freedom says I hate cricketers.

[00:13:08] And I hate cricketers for some reasons.

[00:13:11] Like any other Indian, I have also played a lot of cricket.

[00:13:15] I tried the house and I discovered that he used to be the king.

[00:13:19] Rajavi, so we played cricket.

[00:13:23] But what happened?

[00:13:25] I was in school and we heard that from Ranjitwafi match was on in Kota.

[00:13:30] And Navapatodi, they used to play from Real Madrid, Budi Kundaran.

[00:13:34] They were batting.

[00:13:35] So we went to school, we went there.

[00:13:38] Kota, lunch break when he was coming back towards the pavilion.

[00:13:41] I opened my bag, school bag and took out a copy which was absolutely untattered

[00:13:46] because I was not a good student.

[00:13:48] And I took out a, I was looking for a clean pay.

[00:13:50] All the pages crossed word and knocked and coughs.

[00:13:53] So one page was Kali and I showed it to him as an autograph.

[00:13:58] He took my copy and he threw it through it like this.

[00:14:02] I was furious and the guy next to me was a kind of a street dara.

[00:14:08] And he abused him and he wanted to charge me.

[00:14:11] No, don't do that.

[00:14:12] Budi Kundaran saw that, he picked up the notebook and said to me he said wait,

[00:14:17] he went to him, said Tiger, sign it.

[00:14:19] And he signed it and he gave it to me.

[00:14:21] I threw the book.

[00:14:22] I said I don't want to sign it.

[00:14:24] He's not my kind of man.

[00:14:25] Anyway, we went from the service.

[00:14:27] So that was the hatred towards cricket.

[00:14:31] The second point was when we used to run, I would run a Delhi championship or something.

[00:14:36] No mention in the newspaper.

[00:14:38] No mention.

[00:14:39] Somebody will score ten runs and one photo.

[00:14:42] I mean no fault of theirs.

[00:14:44] It was us journalists who were making them gods.

[00:14:46] And not covering the athletics.

[00:14:48] Half the athletics championships I have covered my own money.

[00:14:51] In Express, I was an Indian Express newspaper.

[00:14:53] They won't stand because they thought only cricket sells.

[00:14:56] Now only because of me, people have started trending and all.

[00:15:00] So do you think because of all of these experiences that you had,

[00:15:03] you sort of made it a point to bring light on to all of these other sports as a journalist as well?

[00:15:10] Not that a mission.

[00:15:11] Not at this book but yes.

[00:15:12] No, but in general.

[00:15:13] Oh yes.

[00:15:14] Yes.

[00:15:15] I've written and not only written, I've made it a point to help people in whatever way we could do.

[00:15:22] There was a wrestler called Malwa.

[00:15:24] In 1962, one the Asian Games Gold Medal.

[00:15:28] He was in a very poor condition and he was selling alukitiki and someone who is a Jhanger Puri colony and all.

[00:15:34] So one day, Milka Singh was passing by Indian Express at that time.

[00:15:37] I was an Indian Express.

[00:15:38] He stopped the car and Milka was a very dear friend so he came inside and he said,

[00:15:43] you are Jhanger Puri in Chase Punjabi.

[00:15:45] He said, you are Jhanger Puri Ketay.

[00:15:47] I said, why?

[00:15:48] You said Malwa is a great wrestler.

[00:15:50] I want to give him some money.

[00:15:52] So I said, okay.

[00:15:53] So I went and took my photographer.

[00:15:55] We went to Jhanger Puri.

[00:15:56] And it was two hours located in wherever in Jhom Puri he was.

[00:16:00] And he was actually selling alukitiki outside.

[00:16:03] Asian Games Gold Medalist and many time national champions and Arjuna ward winners.

[00:16:08] So we took pictures and all and we went to his hut and there was something shining like a light coming.

[00:16:14] So I said, Malwa, what is this?

[00:16:15] Are you going to give me the money?

[00:16:17] There are two things.

[00:16:19] It was the broken piece of the Arjuna ward.

[00:16:21] It was shining and reflecting.

[00:16:23] We took the pictures of that.

[00:16:25] Milka gave the money and we came back and I did the story.

[00:16:28] That time Indian Express had 26 editions of Indian Express all over India.

[00:16:32] And all editions on page 1, column 12345 and pictures and it appeared.

[00:16:38] And the country wide response to that.

[00:16:41] Next week the parliament was the non-market tell-wow sports minister.

[00:16:45] The entire opposition was throwing copies of my story in parliament in the next press.

[00:16:50] So these are the things that you know, you live when you feel good that you did a sport and you did writing.

[00:16:57] But not for cricket.

[00:17:02] But now you would have had a change of opinion for cricket.

[00:17:06] Because players have gotten a fit all out of the pressure.

[00:17:08] No, not for me.

[00:17:09] My opinion is change.

[00:17:11] That sport has become an interest for you now and not anymore sport especially cricket.

[00:17:16] So we are going to close in some time.

[00:17:19] And as we close I want to address this one issue.

[00:17:22] Every Olympic season there is a conversation that literally template conversation.

[00:17:29] India is a population of X billion but our medal style is solo.

[00:17:34] And as you said, all experts give their own.

[00:17:38] They should do this, they should do it.

[00:17:40] They should not do it.

[00:17:42] They should not play in stadiums.

[00:17:44] They should not play in government.

[00:17:46] Where do you think in all of this whole debate?

[00:17:50] Who needs to take that first step?

[00:17:53] Because everyone is speaking on the other side.

[00:17:56] Now I tell you, when we talk about the population.

[00:17:59] Population is just a number.

[00:18:02] Now let me ask you one thing.

[00:18:04] Out of that population of billion every time we say no gold medal winner.

[00:18:09] Why don't we ask how many noble audits?

[00:18:12] We have one that population has won.

[00:18:14] How many good writers of Rabindranath go and all very much less population.

[00:18:18] How many good doctors we don't ask that.

[00:18:21] Only sports person, why not?

[00:18:23] Out of that 1 billion tell me how many people play?

[00:18:27] If we will have to wider the pool of active players.

[00:18:31] And where do you play?

[00:18:34] That is the second thing.

[00:18:36] If 10,000 people do say around 100 meters.

[00:18:39] Out of 10,000 will be discarded.

[00:18:42] The next 5,000 will be go to state level or school level.

[00:18:46] And then 2,500 will become a kind of a national level.

[00:18:49] Out of those 2,500 or maybe 100.

[00:18:51] Finally there will be two or three champions.

[00:18:54] I mean it will pick up the top few results.

[00:18:57] Indian at least.

[00:18:58] You will find that most of them are from villages.

[00:19:00] Poor background.

[00:19:01] Somebody is a son and daughter of a carpenters.

[00:19:04] There is nothing wrong with that profession.

[00:19:07] In fact, we salute to them that even at that they have sacrificed their and to bring up their children

[00:19:14] and see that they produce medalists.

[00:19:17] Whereas the only exception of a rich person I think was having.

[00:19:21] I mean I've been a runner.

[00:19:22] Shooting range, better shooting range than any shooting range at home.

[00:19:28] So either you have like a very passionate father or a father figure or a coach.

[00:19:35] Or you are extremely rich that you essentially make a whole setup for yourself.

[00:19:41] But again I would say it's not only money.

[00:19:44] Money was I think maybe Ratan Tata would have been a World Champion.

[00:19:47] Money would have been a World Champion.

[00:19:50] But we have to support these people.

[00:19:53] And it's not only money at times I think media has to back them up.

[00:19:58] And we kind of nice to them at least.

[00:20:00] And do you think now that the market has come into all of these sports?

[00:20:04] Even you see a badminton league, you see all of these leagues and all of these.

[00:20:08] So do you think that will help kickstart that whole chain of engagement?

[00:20:13] I think so.

[00:20:14] I think so.

[00:20:15] There has to be.

[00:20:16] And what are some of the things that we need to stay clear of as you said that market has become a circus because of this.

[00:20:22] There are some negative points.

[00:20:24] But there is a positive side on money has to come and why will somebody give you the money if he's not getting anything in return like JW.

[00:20:32] Exactly.

[00:20:33] I mean before near edge came or somebody came no but not many people knew.

[00:20:37] I'm sure people don't even know what they as the stands for.

[00:20:41] But they know JW.

[00:20:42] Because all the time they go on the street shirts.

[00:20:45] But at least so the JW owner generals know that you know we get something out of it.

[00:20:50] The patronage has to come from somewhere.

[00:20:52] I mean otherwise they remain in the corporate page news.

[00:20:57] But by doing this, they come to the first page of the news papers.

[00:21:01] And actually in the cultural conversations right?

[00:21:05] Like the term money doing all of these things becomes every time near it goes to Prime Minister or President to meet JW.

[00:21:13] And then JW has to wait for one year to get a appointment.

[00:21:18] So these are the subtle advantages or the subtle benefits which are absolutely fine if they are giving money in crores.

[00:21:25] Why not?

[00:21:26] Yeah.

[00:21:27] They are institutes in Beliari and Bengal.

[00:21:31] The fantastic place with the trained people and keep people in the office.

[00:21:35] Are there any talks happening to make some sort of a league out of track and field events?

[00:21:40] It tried earlier also but like IPL or you know so many kind of things.

[00:21:46] And we don't have numbers.

[00:21:47] I mean if I ask you give me two names, the three names of Gavrinth and Indian.

[00:21:52] Most people will get stuck at Nairach even I would.

[00:21:57] Unless you have a pool.

[00:21:59] Earlier we had tried, I was one of them, we have promoted and we organized.

[00:22:03] Maybe a day is event in which we will have only one sprint 100 meters, one middle descent 800 or one through.

[00:22:10] Like a triangular, we tried but it wasn't a great success because we don't have numbers.

[00:22:16] Maybe you can have a South Asian maybe you can have two again the moment you say Pakistan.

[00:22:21] Pakistan is the only one who has a full German role.

[00:22:24] The event is on.

[00:22:25] The event is on.

[00:22:26] The event is on Pakistan as I said in the event.

[00:22:29] No I wanted a video clip from the league.

[00:22:35] Only this one is a government.

[00:22:38] It's a tradition.

[00:22:40] I don't want to talk to you.

[00:22:42] You see it in real life.

[00:22:44] Near as a Nadeem are such good friends.

[00:22:47] Very good friends.

[00:22:48] In fact if you have time permits I can show you one story which I have written in this.

[00:22:53] Which has not appeared in any newspaper.

[00:22:56] There was at least 20-25 journalists covering the Tokyo Olympics.

[00:23:01] Nadeem happened to touch the Javlin Nairaj.

[00:23:06] People started to say it was a temple area.

[00:23:10] First of all they have no clue what a Javlin looks like.

[00:23:14] The only thing, even if you want to temple the only thing that you can do is the grip.

[00:23:23] The moment the grip is in the flight changes.

[00:23:27] The weight distribution is the same.

[00:23:29] The weight distribution is the same.

[00:23:30] Now that will take 5 hours.

[00:23:32] The thread is pasted and they don't realize that each event has 7-8 cameras.

[00:23:40] We all are camera persons.

[00:23:41] They know it cannot be covered with one camera.

[00:23:43] At least 10 cameras on the screen.

[00:23:45] And 100 cameras around the security.

[00:23:48] The police officers sitting in the basement and watching everything.

[00:23:52] Even a Ropey game, even you scratch head like this.

[00:23:55] And you do this immediately.

[00:23:56] The next man sitting with youthful is a spectator.

[00:23:58] He will be a cop.

[00:23:59] He will catch hold of the man.

[00:24:00] He will think that he was throwing something.

[00:24:02] So they are monitoring each and every second.

[00:24:04] So there was no chance.

[00:24:05] And why he touched that?

[00:24:07] He wanted to throw with that.

[00:24:09] Because the rule is that when you take your own equipment,

[00:24:14] you have to deposit with the organizer.

[00:24:16] 24 hours before the event.

[00:24:18] They check that it is to the measurement and specification.

[00:24:22] And then because it's the property of the organizing committee.

[00:24:26] Anybody can use it.

[00:24:28] And that Javelin happens to be the one with which he had won the South Asian Federation game.

[00:24:35] Because when we came for the South Asian Federation games,

[00:24:38] his Javelin was misplaced from Karachi, or wherever.

[00:24:42] So Shippal Singh, who was an Indian Javelin,

[00:24:45] threw her there, he asked him, Mirko Javelin,

[00:24:48] and with that, he won the gold medal.

[00:24:50] And when Shippal got out in Tokyo,

[00:24:53] he left that Javelin for Nadim with Neeraj.

[00:24:56] So Neeraj took it there, Neeraj kept it.

[00:24:58] And that's why Nadim wanted to throw where they didn't know this story.

[00:25:02] Not even the result.

[00:25:03] Nadim had tampering with it.

[00:25:05] Where?

[00:25:06] How the tampering is happening?

[00:25:12] So Shippal told me this story.

[00:25:13] And the results were written.

[00:25:14] I was reading that.

[00:25:20] He became an Indo-Pac thing.

[00:25:22] Of course it did.

[00:25:23] And Javelin threw his 19 year old,

[00:25:28] when he was coming to Hangzhou, he got selected.

[00:25:31] You know the first gold complementary message from Keen from where?

[00:25:34] From Neeraj from Neeraj.

[00:25:35] He called him up and said,

[00:25:37] Javelin, why did you come here today?

[00:25:39] And Javelin sent me a picture from Hangzhou.

[00:25:42] He and Neeraj standing together.

[00:25:44] So he wrote this picture.

[00:25:45] Sir, you have seen Neeraj.

[00:25:48] You know why?

[00:25:49] Sir, we are the same people.

[00:25:51] We are the same people.

[00:25:53] I can't speak English.

[00:25:54] I can't speak English.

[00:25:56] Who else will I come to?

[00:25:58] I know it's barrier.

[00:25:59] Who will I speak to?

[00:26:00] We talk about Indian music and films.

[00:26:04] And then culture is the same.

[00:26:06] He says when I am standing at there,

[00:26:08] even if I had some problem,

[00:26:10] I would have to see how much the wind is going.

[00:26:12] Who will I ask?

[00:26:13] The only person who has asked me,

[00:26:15] I don't know how much the wind is going.

[00:26:17] I don't know what people will say.

[00:26:19] So this was a good bonding.

[00:26:21] But Javelin's make it a big story,

[00:26:23] Indo-Pac story, Indo-Pac story,

[00:26:25] no Indo-Pac story.

[00:26:26] Nice.

[00:26:27] I think we can go on for so long,

[00:26:30] but our cameras will soon be going very longer.

[00:26:34] Five days and all.

[00:26:39] Thanks a lot for having this chat with me.

[00:26:42] It was so great.

[00:26:43] I think the way you contextualize

[00:26:47] the whole state of Indian athletics,

[00:26:49] because this book is about Neeraj.

[00:26:52] Neeraj is on the cover and all of that.

[00:26:55] But I would say that even more than that,

[00:26:57] it's a book about Indian athletics.

[00:26:59] You share it.

[00:27:00] Yeah.

[00:27:01] So it's great that we can be as objective about...

[00:27:04] He was a talking one.

[00:27:06] So you played smartly.

[00:27:08] If you only click on the book about athletics,

[00:27:11] you'll get a lot of attention.

[00:27:13] So he's like,

[00:27:14] no, another reason is that he started with that.

[00:27:17] Because when he said book on Neeraj,

[00:27:19] I was struggling what to write.

[00:27:21] He was only one.

[00:27:23] He wanted that time.

[00:27:25] How much can you...

[00:27:27] That's the problem of writing about active players.

[00:27:29] You want to write 50,000 world Neeraj in a gold medal.

[00:27:32] And he said he thought that he was like,

[00:27:34] after a point,

[00:27:36] that's why I said let me speak to all that stakeholders.

[00:27:38] And that's how it came to that.

[00:27:40] You could definitely give it a zine.

[00:27:42] This was Mr. Naris Patitham,

[00:27:44] this was Patik and as even...

[00:27:46] Thank you.

[00:27:47] Thank you. Thank you so much for having me.

[00:27:49] It was interesting.

[00:27:52] You were listening to the Quinn's podcast.