Bharat’s only Olympic Gold medallist in
track and field, Neeraj Chopra, proposed making track and field more attractive
and marketable for Indian fans in Bengaluru on Wednesday.
He was addressing the gathering of
global sporting leaders at the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) Innovation Lab’s
Leaders Meet: India
Sharing his thoughts on what hinders the
popularity of track and field amongst the Indian audience, Neeraj Chopra
commented, “First of all, I feel that the international competitions where we
compete such as the Diamond League, Continental Tours, and World Athletics
Championships should be broadcast in India.
“Currently, we only get to watch the
highlights though people want to watch the athletics, they stay up till 1-2 am
in the night, and wait for the athlete to play but they face disappointment
after not being able to watch.
Broadcasting athletics events on TV will
enable more people to start watching, to understand, and increase the awareness
about the competitions we compete in.”
RCB Innovation Lab is a groundbreaking
initiative that brings together titans from the international sporting world to
create a participative platform where influential dialogues and the exchange of
innovative ideas become centre stage.
Starting with the Leader’s Meet: India.
This event promises to offer a panoramic
view of the present and future of the sports industry, advocating and providing
insights into the transformative elements that are propelling Bharat into a new
era of sporting excellence and business innovation.
The Haryana-born athlete has had an
exceptional year so far, with him bagging gold at the Asian Games 2022 and
World Athletics Championships 2023 this year, and he is expected to replicate
his Tokyo Olympic success next year at the Paris Olympics.
He also spoke about how much Bharat’s sporting
ecosystem has developed in the past few years and how hosting international
competitions in India can be a game-changer for Athletics.
Echoing the fan sentiments, the Tokyo
gold medallist said, “If countries like Kenya and Grenada can host
international athletics competitions on a world-class level regularly, India
also has great capability to do the same.
Whenever I meet people from the World
Athletics Organization they express their interest in hosting such a tournament
in India am hopeful if India can host such competitive events more people can
witness such championships in person and be inspired.”
The 25-year-old reminisced about his
most memorable moments in life he pointed out the junior world record throw at
the World Junior Championships in Poland followed by the Tokyo Olympics which
was a life-changing moment for him as the highlights of his career so far.
Speaking about his training preparations
he said, “My preparation will begin with removing the excess fat accumulated in
the last few days. I had a lot of milk, ghee, churma, and sweets in my hometown
while I was there. I tried my best to control it but couldn’t. But I know when
I get started with my training I will be able to get rolling in 2-3 weeks time.”
RCB Innovation Lab Leaders Meet: India
will conclude on November 30.
ANI
