Days after he said that it wasn’t necessary to make any public declarations before he decided to marry, India’s greatest living Olympian Neeraj Chopra announced his wedding to tennis player Himani Mor in an intimate ceremony.
In a short post on his social media pages, Neeraj shared pictures from the ceremony held in Himachal Pradesh on January 16. “Grateful for every blessing that brought us to this moment together. Bound by love, happily ever after,” Neeraj wrote.
Neeraj’s paternal uncle Bhim Chopra told The Indian Express that the marriage was arranged by both families. “The wedding took place on January 16 in Himachal Pradesh. Both the families were present during the wedding, which was arranged by the two families,” Bhim said.
He added that Neeraj and Himani wanted to keep the details of the ceremony private. “It’s a new journey for Neeraj and Himani. We cannot share details of the ceremony since Neeraj and Himani’s families want it to be that way. Neeraj and Himani are currently out of the country. The whole Chopra family is delighted.”
It is understood that even some of Neeraj’s fellow athletes got to know only through his social media posts. That’s how Neeraj wanted it, going by his recent comments on this matter.
In an interview with Lallantop News recently, Neeraj hinted at maintaining privacy after he was asked about his marriage plans. “Personal life is such a thing that it depends on an individual how much he wants to show the world,” the double Olympic and World Championship medallist said. “Shadi bhi honi ho toh zaroori thodi na hai ki sabhi ko batake honi hai (It’s not necessary to announce the marriage to the whole world). Whenever it has to happen, the family will decide. That’s when it’ll happen.”
Bhim said that the bride’s family hails from Sonipat, Haryana. In fact, Himani’s alma mater is the same as India’s top-ranked tennis player Sumit Nagal. Like Nagal, Himani, too, played tennis and, as per the All India Tennis Association website, her highest national ranking was 42 in singles and 27 in doubles.
After completing a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Physical Education, Himani moved to the USA where she studied at the Southeastern Louisiana University. Apart from working as a part-time volunteer assistant tennis coach at Franklin Pierce University, Himani — a graduate assistant at Amherst College — manages the women’s tennis programme at her college where, as per available information, she oversees training, scheduling, recruitment and budgets.
For Neeraj, this is the off-season after a strenuous 2024 when he won his second Olympic medal while battling a long-standing injury. He was training in South Africa under his new coach, world record holder Jan Zelezny, for the new season and will have the World Championships as a major target.