Why friend Tejaswin Shankar `hates` sharing room with `golden boy` Neeraj Chopra

The Tokyo Olympics is the grandest stage for any athlete and can be intimidating but not for Neeraj Chopra, who said he did not take any pressure and was going about his job just like he does at any other international event.

A history-scripting Olympic gold medal in his pocket, star javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra had rewritten athletics history for India at the Tokyo Olympics. High-jumper Tejaswin Shankar is one of Chopra’s closest friend and sometimes roommate during major events like 2018 Commonwealth Games.

Chopra, who clinched the country’s maiden athletics medal to become only the second Indian to win an individual gold in the Olympics, went for a record while trying for the Games record (90.57m) on Saturday (August 7) but could not accomplish it. The Olympics is the grandest stage for any athlete and can be intimidating but not for Chopra, who said he did not take any pressure and was going about his job just like he does at any other international event.

“He is very different from us. Imagine he has won India’s first-ever athletics medal but he’s telling me that he’s feeling bad for (Johannes) Vetter. He’s one of those persons who can never say no to you if you’re his friend,” Shankar wrote in a column for Indian Express newspaper.

“I remember him telling me once that a lot of people had borrowed money from him and that he’s not even cared to make a note or a list. I honestly feel he’s too nice for his own good,” the Delhi-born high-jumper added.

Shankar hilariously recounted a time when he shared a room with Chopra for two weeks in Bengaluru. “We even shared a room for 15 days in Bangalore. Honestly, he may be an Olympic champion now but I still dread sharing a room with him. He’s a bit disorganised. If you enter his room, you’ll find his clothes drying on the bed or his socks in the middle of the room. I didn’t say anything to him because sharing a room with Neeraj was a huge thing for me.

“We bonded over fried rice and matka kulfi for the next fortnight. The only boys’ talk we had was about video games. He was crazy about Mini Militia then and now he’s into PubG. I’ll ask him if has a girlfriend when I meet him next time,” Shankar wrote.

Tejaswin, who finished 6th at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, was inspired by his friend Neeraj Chopra’s performance at the Tokyo Oympics and has already set his sights on the 2024 Paris Olympics.

“The moment Neeraj sealed the gold, I had a rush of adrenaline and, believe it or not, I went down on the floor and did 20 push-ups. I was so pumped up that Paris 2024 was already running in my mind,” Shankar added.