Nine-year-old Thathagat Kumar and his father Ajay Kumar had the most surreal time of their lives last Sunday when javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra, the historic World Athletics Championships gold medal around his neck, made his way to a group of Indian fans in the stands at the National Athletics Centre in Budapest and clicked a selfie for them.
For the Indians in the stadium, watching track and field athletes from their country on the final night of the prestigious competition was the icing on the cake. For eight days, the few hundred Indians had contented themselves with being world citizens, cheering Americans, Jamaicans, Ethiopians, Kenyans and Canadians, among others.
Then, as Budapest transformed from an unbearably hot and humid host in the first half of the championships to a cooler clime when the curtains came down, India’s fortunes changed. It was seen in better light by not just the 36,000 fans of different nationalities at the stadium, but also many beyond.
