PM Modi's praise for our 'choorma' is a matter of great pride: Neeraj Chopra's parents

Panipat, Oct 3 (IANS) Ace javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra's parents expressed their gratitude after Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised a special homemade 'Choorma', a traditional Rajasthani and Haryanvi delicacy, they sent to him.

On Wednesday, PM Modi wrote a letter to Neeraj's mother, Saroj Devi, thanking her for the delicious cuisine delivered to him during an event with the Prime Minister of Jamaica. The Prime Minister also fondly noted that the choorma reminded him of his own mother’s cooking.

Neeraj's parents shared how the Prime Minister had asked for the choorma before the Paris Olympics, joking that he missed out on it last time, but Neeraj made sure to bring it this time. They felt immense pride when PM Modi praised their choorma and even mentioned how it would give him strength during the festival of Navratri.

Neeraj Chopra's parents say, "Prime Minister Modi said something to us before the games, stating, 'Brother, we still haven't received the churma.' Last time, he missed out, but this time, Neeraj took the churma with him, and PM Modi included it in his feast," Chopra's parents told reporters.

"The Prime Minister of Jamaica was also there, and everyone participated. It is a matter of great pride for us, and it makes us very happy that our Prime Minister is praising our churma, saying that he received it a day before Navratri. It will continue to give him strength for the nation for nine days and throughout his lives," they further added.

Neeraj won the silver medal in men's javelin throw in the recently concluded Paris Olympics and ended his season with a second-place finish in the prestigious Diamond League Final earlier this month.

The 26-year-old, the first Indian athlete to win a gold medal in the Olympics, finished second in Brussels with a best throw of 87.86m in the Diamond League Final. He missed out on the top spot by just a 1 cm margin.