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Indian Javelin star Neeraj Chopra made headlines in the last edition of the Olympic Games by winning a gold medal in Tokyo. He becomes the first ever Indian to clinch an Olympic gold medal in the Javelin throw event. Neeraj will now be seen in action for India where he will look to repeat his heroics in the ongoing edition of games.
Neeraj will have a special supporter in this edition of games, a cyclist Fayis Asraf Ali who has travelled all the way from Calicut, riding more than 22000 kilometres over two years. Ali started his journey on August 15, 2022. He set off with a mission to cycle from "India to London to spread peace and unity".
After riding his cycle across 17 countries, he stopped in Budapest one August afternoon last year, when he came to know that the Tokyo Olympics gold medallist was staying across the street and after a long hussle he met his idol, Neeraj.
"I got a few minutes to talk to the Indian athletes and Neeraj told me since 'you are going to London why don't you come to Paris for the Olympics'," Ali told PTI.
After Neeraj suggested him to travel to Paris for the Olympics he changed his plan to meet him again at the multinational event.
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"I thought it would be a wonderful opportunity to see him again in Paris so I altered my plan a bit and procured the required visa and cycled to the UK before ending my journey here. I am so excited to meet him again. I've requested PT Usha ma'am (IOA chief). I'm here to see him create history again. We will cheer for him (on August 8)," he added.
He carries a total weight of 50 kg which includes a pair of clothes, a tent, a sleeping bag and a mat. While asked about his stay, he said that there were sponsors who helped him for accommodation.
"I never stay in a hotel and get some sponsors on the way and that's it. In between twice, I flew to Kerala to arrange visas. Visa is all you need to cross the border, a cyclist does not need any other documentation," he added.
Ali was also greeted by star cricketers Chris Gayle, Harbhajan Singh and Suresh Raina when he was in the UK.
ALSO READ: EXPLAINED: Why Lakhsya Sen's first win in Paris Olympics 2024 has been 'deleted' from records
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