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| Covering 22,000kms in 2 years, Kerala cyclist reaches Paris to cheer for Neeraj Chopra | | | Agencies
PARIS, July 29: India's star athlete Neeraj Chopra will have a special supporter at the Paris Olympics: a Kerala cyclist who has travelled all the way from Calicut, riding more than 22000 kilometers over two years.
Fayis Asraf Ali's arrival in the French capital was the culmination of a long journey on his Surly bicycle that took him across 30 countries, beginning on August 15, 2022.
Ali set off with a mission to cycle from "India to London to spread peace and unity".
Having cycled across 17 countries, he stopped in Budapest one August afternoon last year, when he came to know that the Tokyo Olympics gold medallist was staying across the street.
The ace javelin thrower was with the athletics contingent for the World Championships in which claimed another historic win.
A few hurried calls to a "known Kerala coach" led to a "dream meeting" with his sporting idol.
"I got a few minutes to talk to the Indian athletes and Neeraj told me since 'you are going to London why don't you come to Paris for the Olympics'," Ali told PTI during an interaction after ending his journey at India House here on Sunday.
"I thought it would be a wonderful opportunity to see him again in Paris so I altered my plan a bit and procured the required visa and cycled to the UK before ending my journey here.
"I am so excited to meet him again. I've requested PT Usha ma'am (IOA chief). I'm here to see him create history again. We will cheer for him (on August 8)," he added.
He carries four pairs of clothes, a tent, a sleeping bag and a mat that takes the total weight of the cycle to 50kgs.
"I never stay in a hotel and get some sponsors on the way and that's it. In between twice, I flew to Kerala to arrange visas.
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