Neeraj Chopra, India’s celebrated javelin thrower and Olympic gold medalist from Tokyo 2020, has emphasized that cricket continues to reign supreme as the nation’s most popular sport. He clarified that he has never sought to draw comparisons with iconic cricketers like Virat Kohli or MS Dhoni.
Chopra’s historic gold medal in Tokyo earned him widespread acclaim and a hero’s welcome across India. His achievement marked a significant milestone as he became only the third Indian, following Norman Pritchard and Abhinav Bindra, to clinch an individual Olympic medal.
The victory was also monumental for Indian athletics, marking the first-ever Olympic medal in the sport’s history for the country. As Chopra gears up for the Paris Olympics 2024, where he carries India’s hopes for further success, all eyes will be on how he performs under the immense pressure and expectations of the nation.
Neeraj Chopra speaks on cricket’s huge popularity in India
During an interview with Sportstar, Neeraj Chopra was asked about cricket’s popularity in India as compared to other sports. Chopra responded smartly by saying that he never compared himself to star Indian cricketers and feels satisfied with his sport.
“If you respect your sport and feel satisfied with it, then nothing else should matter. At the Doha Diamond League, I was asked how popular I was in India. I never tried to compare myself with the likes of Virat Kohli or MS Dhoni because I’m very well aware of the reality of what I am in India,” Neeraj Chopra said.
“Yes, obviously, after the Olympics, people recognize me a lot more, but I know there is a stark difference in my popularity compared to that of a cricketer. Cricket is played in every single alley in the country. It’s not like people practice javelin throw in the same way,” he added.
Cricket’s immense popularity in India was vividly displayed when Mumbai’s Marine Drive transformed into a sea of jubilant fans, numbering over 100,000, to celebrate India’s triumph in the T20 World Cup 2024. The scenes underscored the status of Indian cricketers as revered heroes nationwide.
“I don’t want any shortcuts to making my sport popular” – Neeraj Chopra
The Javelin ace also spoke about how other sports like the Javelin throw can become popular in India. He replied that India needs to have more javelin-based competitions in the country to make the sport popular. He wants more competitiveness in the sport which will bring more audience into the stadiums.
“I don’t want any shortcuts to making my sport popular. I want my sport to become popular with my hard work and effort,” Neeraj said.
“If there are more javelin-based competitions in India, like the Diamond League, people will become more interested in watching and following the sport. With talented javelin athletes in India, there should be national-level leagues to compete. This would help to boost the sport in India,” the 26-year-old added.
Neeraj Chopra will compete with the likes of world-class javelin throwers like Anderson Peters, Jakub Vadlejch, Arshad Nadeem, and many others in the upcoming Paris Olympics.
