NEW DELHI:
Neeraj Chopra
's popularity in the country has skyrocketed since he won India's first Olympic gold medal in athletics at the
Tokyo Olympics
. But the fame doesn't seem to get into his head and continues to display his modest nature.
When asked about his fame in comparison to renowned cricketers like
Virat Kohli
and MS Dhoni, Neeraj humbly declined to draw any parallels.
Neeraj acknowledged that cricket remains the most beloved sport in India. However, he aspires for javelin to reach similar levels of popularity and success within the country. Neeraj clarified that he doesn't wish for javelin's growth to come at the cost of other sports.
"If you respect your sport and feel satisfied with it, then nothing else should matter," Neeraj Chopra told Sportstar.
"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," he 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 practise javelin throw in the same way," the javelin ace added.
"I don't want any shortcuts to make my sport popular. I want my sport to become popular with my hard work and effort."
"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," he further said.
Neeraj will lead Indian contingent of 118 athletes in the
Paris Olympics
, starting July 26.
English (US) ·