 "Neeraj Chopra after winning silver medal at Paris Olympics (Pic-Twitter)")
Neeraj Chopra is set to beat many cricketers in valuation game. | File Photo
The brand value of athletes Neeraj Chopra and Manu Bhaker has gone up significantly after their success at the recently concluded Paris Olympics. While Neeraj won silver in javelin throw at Paris, Manu was India’s breakout star, winning two bronze medals.
Based on data from financial advisory firm Kroll, Neeraj is set to beat many cricketers in valuation game. He has been identified as the highest-valued non-cricketer among Indian sportspersons. According to Kroll data, quoted in a report by The Economic Times, Neeraj Chopra’s valuation is set to shoot up from $29.6 million to over $40 million.
Meanwhile, Manu is also finalising big deals. The 22-year-old shooter has recently signed a brand endorsement deal worth a whopping Rs 1.5 crore with a soft drink brand. Notably, Bhaker’s endorsement fee before Paris Olympics 2024 was about Rs 25 lakh per deal per year, as per the report.
Following her Olympic success, around 40 brands have approached Bhaker. Apart from Bhaker and Chopra, Vinesh Phogat’s endorsement fee has also risen from Rs 25 lakh per deal per year to around Rs 1 crore.
Olympics purple patch: Neeraj Chopra, Manu Bhaker
India finished with six medals at the Paris Olympics. While Manu Bhaker won two of them, Neeraj Chopra was the only one to bring back a silver medal. In total, these two athletes won half of India’s medals.
Neeraj finished with his season-best throw of 89.45m. However, it was not enough to bring a second straight gold as Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem scripted Olympic history with a throw of 92.97 meters.
On the other hand, Manu became the first Indian athlete to win two medals in one edition after Independence. She also became the first Indian woman athlete to ever do so.
First Published: Aug 22 2024 | 5:05 PM IST
