Javelin ace Neeraj Chopra becomes Laureus ambassador

Neeraj Chopra, India’s reigning Olympic, world and Asian champion in men’s javelin, was named a Laureus ambassador on Thursday. Last year, he became the first Indian track and field athlete to win a Laureus award in the Breakthrough of the Year category at the Laureus World Sports Awards, considered the Oscar of sporting awards, for his Tokyo Olympics gold. 

Now on a break in India after retaining his gold medal at the Asian Games in Hangzhou, Chopra said: “It’s a big honour for me to join Laureus as an ambassador. To use my platform and the power of sport to help young people in India and around the world is something I am looking forward to doing. To see the many legends that have been a part of this programme and the difference they have made in the world is inspiring and I share the same belief; that sport has the power to change the world.” 

“I’ve heard about the many programmes that Laureus supports in India, and the stories remind me of the many ways in which we can help young people. Every athlete knows that sport can be a big part of that story. People are watching and following my sport now more than ever and I believe that working with Laureus Sport for Good, I can use that platform to change lives.” 

Laureus Sport for Good, a global foundation, supports over 300 programmes that use sport to eradicate inequality and discrimination for young people around the world.  Chopra joins a team of elite Indian athletes from across generations, including academy members and icons of Indian cricket such as Kapil Dev, Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar. 

Meanwhile, Yuvraj Singh, India’s World Cup-winning allrounder and a Laureus ambassador himself, said: “As a fellow Laureus ambassador, I am looking forward to talking to Neeraj about our ideas to make a difference in India and beyond. It is so impressive to see an athlete at the peak of his powers, with his best years still to come, already looking beyond his own sporting ambitions and considering the ways he can use his platform for good.”