Rome wasn’t built in a day. Neeraj Chopra understands what this idiom means. Just like he to work hard, be patient and persevere in order to reach the heights he has today, he knows that sports other than cricket in India will grow but it isn’t going to be a instant change.
On public’s adoration of Olympians & Paralympians
The 2-time Olympic medalist understands that no sport can match cricket’s popularity in India but sportspeople like him, Manu Bhaker, PV Sindhu, Sheetal Devi, Nikhat Zareen and Avani Lekhara among others have started to garner attention from the people of India. They might not be bigger than MS Dhoni, Rohit Sharma or Virat Kohli but they have huge following themselves.
“In India, cricket is played in every lane. Also, our team is doing so well. But other sportspeople are also getting love and attention, especially after the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and our success in the Paris 2024 Paralympics. the javelin star said at the launch of an Under Armour store in Lucknow.
Performance = Popularity
Neeraj also understands that nothing popularity and support goes hand-in-hand with performance. One of the reasons why the Indian cricket team garners such adulation from the public. “Support and performance go hand-in-hand,” Neeraj added. The only reason why he’s one of the most famous athletes in India is because of his at the international stage.
Inspiring people
The 26-year-old athlete understand that change doesn’t happen with the click of the fingers. He takes pride in the fact the parents now want their kids to take up other sports than cricket. “It’s great that people are watching other sports and parents are inspiring their children to join different sports… Ekdum se kuch nahi hota, but change to ho raha hai (it doesn’t happen instantly; it’s changing slowly),” Neeraj concluded.
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