Norris Pritam’s ‘The Man Who Made History’ maps making of a star

Daman Singh

Of all the individual sporting glories that India has witnessed, his has arguably shone the brightest. It’s the one which can be relayed countless times and still remain immune to effacement. That’s how mighty the magnitude of Neeraj Chopra’s gold-winning feat at the Tokyo Olympics was, and will be, for a billion dreams were realised on that glorious night of August 7, 2021.

Norris Pritam, a senior scribe who has covered six Olympics but regretfully missed the one where history was made, has gone deep into Chopra’s life to unearth his rise to stardom — from a teenager who had ballooned to 85 kg to the indisputable king of javelin throw.

‘The Man Who Made History’ chugs off with the author travelling to meet Chopra at his palatial residence in Khandra, Panipat, which is still glittering in the afterglow of Chopra’s golden show. He is extended hospitality and consumed by warming characters like Chopra’s Bhim chacha, his parents and childhood friends, who regale him with tales of a young Chopra. In no time, it gravitates towards his humble beginnings and the author’s journalistic nous begins to reflect in his work.

He immediately shifts the focus to the cascading effect the gold medal had on the sport. At the same time, he also questions the lapses on part of media’s coverage regarding Indian athletics, which is a stark reality when compared to the space and time reserved for cricket. This, he believes, has for long fractured Indian athletics. In fact, the publication is inundated with similar thoughts, with Pritam delving deeper into the issues plaguing Indian athletics as you move on.

He juxtaposes the current state and that of the ’70s and ’80s, often harking back to the times of Sriram Singh, PT Usha and the late Milkha Singh, among others, while sharing their travails.

Much of it is also a comparative study in how the sports systems worked back then and how the scenario has changed, with the corporate world slithering into the scene to help elite athletes conquer new heights. To get a clearer picture, one can fall back upon JSW Sports’ contribution in Chopra’s career. As Pritam puts it, when Chopra was handpicked by the firm, it solved almost all his problems — be it quality equipment, experienced coaches or foreign exposure. Such facilities were not accessible to Indian athletes earlier.

The firm also moved mountains to help Chopra make a comeback from a career-threatening elbow surgery, roping in the renowned Dr Dinshaw Pardiwala. Through Pardiwala’s inputs, Pritam also goes on to explain the role sports science plays nowadays.

‘Could Chopra make it if he were to contend with limited resources like his predecessors?’ The writer throws in the question at regular intervals, prompting the reader to think hard and long.

All in all, it makes for an interesting read, written unmistakably in parts like a piece in a daily. But several montages of athletes’ lives, apart from the big names, are depicted, which compensates for it. The writer rightly urges all the stakeholders in the sports fraternity to catch them young — as Chopra was, for there are many more craving for the right opportunity and support.