Presents him ₹1 crore and a No. 8758 jersey
The passion, the perfection, and the quest. Then the throw of fire, fury and history.
Gunning for the yellow metal, Neeraj Chopra, running with rhythm and speed and hurling the javelin with power and effort, struck gold on the biggest stage of them all — the Tokyo Olympics.
His spectacular feat struck a chord with Chennai Super Kings (CSK), an immensely successful and popular cricketing franchise.
In recognition of Neeraj’s incredible feat of becoming the first Indian to win a track and field medal at the Olympics — that too a gold — CSK presented Neeraj with ₹1 crore and immortalised 8758 [Neeraj’s gold winning throw was 87.58m] by handing him a jersey with the magical number inscribed on it in New Delhi on Sunday.
Talking to The Hindu, CSK CEO K.S. Viswanathan said, “India Cements has always been a sports loving company. And N. Srinivasan loves all sports, was a good tennis player himself in his younger days.”
Viswanathan added, “India Cements has sponsored many sports such as tennis, ball badminton, badminton, and hockey in the past.”
A benchmark
He said, “Neeraj’s achievement was phenomenal, a benchmark. He is an inspiration for the nation. It was natural that India Cements would recognise it and the number associated with the feat.”
Neeraj said, “Thank you so much for your support and the prize.
“The last two months have been hectic. I never thought I would get so much love after winning the gold medal.”
Gold glitters. So does Neeraj Chopra. And CSK acknowledged the epic achievement.