A family that took an oath of secrecy, a national federation which kept mum despite claiming to know everything and his closest friends in dark -- one of India's most iconic athletes, Neeraj Chopra, got married in complete secrecy at a time when even mildly popular celebrities struggle to keep things private. The amiable youngster, a bonafide giant of Indian sports with two individual Olympic medals against his name, left the country wonder-struck on Sunday night and this time his sporting prowess had nothing to do with it.
It was all about how easily he managed to dodge the constant glare of traditional as well as social media to complete an important life event.
He eventually dropped the news to the world at a time of his choosing, which was a good 48 hours after solemnising his union with US-based tennis player and coach Himani Mor.
The 27-year-old shared photos from the intimate ceremony that featured only the two families and sought the world's blessings.
They landed in heaps on social media but most of his over 10 million followers across social media platforms also wondering, "just how did he do it?" His paternal uncle Bhim Chopra had some if not all the answers.
"Neeraj aur Himani pehle se ek dusare ko jaante the (Both of them knew each other for a while). It happened around two years back through some friends. Both families have also known each other for some time," he told PTI.
The wedding preparations had been on for the past several months but none of the build-up could reach the media, which follows Neeraj's life and career rather aggressively ever since he first burst on to the scene in 2016 with a junior world title.
"Only the members of both families were there in the marriage because Neeraj wanted it
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