Neeraj Chopra unveils outreach programme for school students

Chopra played a variety of sports with the students and gave them tips on throwing the javelin. When asked if what was his favourite food, Chopra said he liked to cook vegetable biryani, without making it spicy, and have it with curd. “It is a wholesome, healthy meal with minerals from the right mix of vegetables and carbohydrates,” he said adding, “Also, the cooking helps distract the mind from the weariness after a long training session.”

A brainchild of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the outreach envisages all Olympians and Paralympians interacting with students from 75 schools in two years to motivate youngsters to have a balanced diet and take on fitness activities. The initiative is being jointly organised by the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.

As part of the programme, Tarundeep Rai (Archery), Sarthak Bhambhri (Athletics), Sushila Devi (Judo), KC Ganapaty and Varun Thakkar (Sailing) will be visiting various schools in different parts of the country in the coming two months. Among the Paralympians, Avani Lekhara (Para Shooting), Bhavina Patel (Para Table Tennis) and Devendra Jhajharia (Para Athletics) will lead the way in the initiative.