What did Rajyavardhan Rathore do after winning an Olympic medal? He went back to the Games Village, had dinner with deputy chef de mission Harish Sharma and a bunch of other Indian athletes, was happy that he found them charged up by his performance — and just soaked it in.There was no partying or boisterousness for the straitlaced soldier.The other Indian team members obviously kept him busy in conversation, because Rathore spoke to his wife only at 2.00 am (4.30 am in India). When he called his father, he asked the senior man, ‘‘What are you doing?’’ The answer was as straight as a bullet: ‘‘Thanks to you I’m giving an interview.’’The feelgood effect was spread through the India camp. After his tennis match on Tuesday, Leander Paes paid tribute to Rathore. He said he was feeling a ‘‘little under the weather’’ in the afternoon but watched Rathore’s event on TV.The silver got Paes so excited that, he said, he jumped out of bed, ready to take on the world. After that, Federer and Allegro had no chance. Today, Rathore had to deal with more commonplace problems — like wondering what gifts to buy for his two children back home. Rathore, while speaking to his family last night, was stumped for an answer when his five-year-old son Manav asked, ‘‘When are you coming back, papa, and what are you bringing for us?’’Well, he’s got the best gift of all in his bag but Rathore wants to pack a few more gifts. ‘‘I’m thinking about the gifts I can get for my two kids. I stay away from home so often that they really miss me. It will be good if I can spend some time with them”, the soft-spoken Rathore said.Though he spend a busy day today, there were no big celebrations, no uncorking of champagne bottles. ‘‘The entire thing is beginning to sink now’’, he said. ‘‘You dream about winning a medal in the Olympics and when you actually do it, it is a different feeling. You wait for such a moment.‘‘There were no celebrations as such. I went back to the media village and e ach and everyone congratulated me. “ (With agency reports)
