On a magical Saturday evening, millions of Indians tuned in to watch a track and field sport. The fact that the men’s javelin throw event at the Tokyo Olympics grabbed eyeballs in the country was sort of as unique as the feat that the 23-year-old Indian athlete Neeraj Chopra achieved at the event, scripting history by not only bagging the gold medal but also becoming the first Indian to do so in a track and field event.

As the Haryana boy’s success story catches the fancy of the Indian youth, his brand valuation is also expected to witness a surge.

Mustafa Ghouse, CEO, JSW Sports, the sports management firm that manages Chopra’s portfolio, said: “This will be a game-changer for Indian sports. We had been starved of a gold medal success at the Olympics since 2008, and the fact that it has come in a big-ticket track and field event is all the more inspiring for the entire country.”

The sports management firm said it has been witnessing a heightened interest from brands for potential endorsement deals with Chopra right from the time he qualified for the men’s javelin throw final, which also bolstered India’s expectations for a strong podium finish in the sport.

‘Response phenomenal’

Ghouse added that that while Chopra is already associated with a few brands, the response post his gold medal win, has been phenomenal. “I think the scale will now grow exponentially higher. Neeraj has a special appeal with a lot of charisma and comes from a humble background, and this resonates with a large segment of the youth and those attributes will be appreciated by many brands,” he stated.

Chopra currently associated with brands such as Gillette, ExxonMobil Lubricants and sports nutrition brand MuscleBlaze.

Brand experts believe his brand valuation may more than double after achieving the rare feat at the Olympics. Brand strategy expert, Harish Bijoor, said: “At the Olympic level, there is just one medal to aspire for and that is gold. Neeraj Chopra has done that, and this gold is a bait and lure for the best brands in the country. There will be a bit of brand-endorsement gold rush.”

Naresh Gupta, co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer, Bang in the Middle, too, is hoping that Chopra’s endorsement deals will see an uptick. “Brands in categories such as the sporting goods and tech devices such as laptops are expected to look at associating with him,” he added.

Cash awards and gifts

As social media has been buzzing with videos of Chopra’s training regime, many, including BCCI, State governments and companies, have announced cash awards and gifts. The Indian contingent has also ended Tokyo Olympics with a record medal haul.

Sahil Chopra, Founder and CEO at digital marketing agency, iCubesWire, said that Chopra has become a household name and brands looking for attributes such as speed and accuracy are expected to sign the gold medalist for endorsement deals.

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