“Roger Federer said Indian food comes in his top 5 list” – India’s javelin sensation Neeraj Chopra opens up on meeting the Swiss in Zurich

Indian javelin sensation Neeraj Chopra has opened up about his meeting with Roger Federer in Zurich, Switzerland, earlier this year.

Chopra has been gearing up to defend his Doha Diamond League title. The event is scheduled to begin on May 10, 2024. Chopra earned the top podium finish last year with an 88.67m throw followed by the Czech Republic's Jakub Vadlejch (88.63m) and Grenada's Anderson Peters (85.88m).

Chopra's popularity grew manifold when he clinched a gold medal in javelin at the Tokyo Olympics. His stardom notably earned him the role of 'Friendship Ambassador' at Switzerland Tourism in November 2022 and since then, he has paid several visits to the scenic country.

In January this year, he had the opportunity to meet with Swiss tennis icon Roger Federer, who's also involved heavily in promoting the holiday business for his country.

In a virtual presser ahead of the Doha Diamond League 2024, Chopra recalled moments of his January meeting with the Swiss and said that the Swiss is fond of Indian food.

"Overall, we had a normal conversation. I asked him about Indian food and he said Indian food comes in his top 5 list," Chopra said. (via ANI)

Chopra had a good impression of the Swiss as he added:

"It was good, as an athlete, it feels good to meet another athlete. He’s a nice person and he has positive vibes."

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Roger Federer told Neeraj Chopra the secret to longevity lies in balancing playtime and training hours

Roger Federer

Further in the same press conference, Neeraj Chopra revealed that Roger Federer shared with him the secret to athletic longevity.

"I asked him that he had a long career, he played at the top level and maintained everything, so how did he do it? He said, 'As athletes, we have to balance what we have to play, if we play more, it means less training, you will get tired, more injuries, and more traveling, so it should be balanced'," the 26-year-old said.

The javelin thrower continued:

"Even though both sports are different, still he played for so long and the mentality that he had. I agreed with him."

Federer began playing tennis professionally in 1998 and remained afloat on the men's tennis circuit for 24 years. He won a staggering 103 singles titles, a silver medal at the London Olympics (2012), and a doubles gold in Beijing (2008).