new delhi: Javelin star Neeraj Chopra on Monday officially ended his decade-long association with JSW Sports and launched his own athlete management firm, named Vel Sports.
For an active athlete who won a gold in the Tokyo and silver in the Paris 2024 Olympics, news of Neeraj stepping into a fresh domain grabbed headlines. It is well-known that there are several cricketers in India, from Sachin Tendulkar to Virat Kohli and Rishabh Pant, who have set up their own management firms.
Perhaps, Neeraj had already tested waters last summer when he hosted the Neeraj Chopra Classic javelin meet in Bengaluru. Considering that Neeraj is still very much an active athlete, stepping into athlete-management is being viewed with great interest.
For lakhs of his fans in India, what is more important is that Neeraj returns to competition. He got injured during the World Championships in Tokyo last September. There was a vague update that he is “recovering from a back injury”. This year is an important one for Neeraj with the Commonwealth Games to be held in Glasgow and the Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan, in September.
Indeed, Neeraj’s new foray means he will have professionals working for his firm Vel Sports. Details are not available at present but if Neeraj is going to “manage athletes” there could also be a conflict of interest. After all, in India, most athletes who represent the country in Olympics disciplines depend enormously on funding from the Sports Ministry. So, Neeraj as an entrepreneur is going to ruffle a few feathers apparently.
Neeraj was associated with JSW Sports for almost a decade. He was identified by the JSW Sports Excellence Programme. “Over the last decade, our journey together has been one of growth, belief and achievement. JSW Sports has played a defining role in my career, and I’ll always remain grateful for their support and vision. As we conclude this chapter, I carry forward the same values into the next phase of my journey,” said Neeraj.