Neeraj Chopra thanks Virat Kohli for support to Indian Olympics athletes ahead of Paris Olympics

New Delhi: Olympics and World gold medallist Neeraj Chopra expressed his gratitude to star Indian batter Virat Kohli for his words of encouragement for all the Olympics-bound Indian athletes set to feature at the Paris Olympics 2024.

Kohli, who is currently on a vacation trip to London along with his family, posted a video on his X handle on Monday. In the promotional video, the former India captain has urged the Indian sports fans to cheer for all the athletes set to represent the country at the Paris Games later this month.

“We are known for cricket and Bollywood, for start-up unicorns and as the fastest-growing economy in the world. So, what is the next big thing for this great nation? Well, that will be more gold, more silver, and more bronze,” Kohli said in the video, indicating that Indian athletes can thrive to win more medals at the mega event.

“Our brothers and sisters are headed to Paris (and) hungry for medals. A billion of us will be watching them… nervous and excited as our athletes set foot in the tracks and fields and courts and rings. Every neighbourhood, every corner of India, will hear a chorus of voice chanting India….India….India. Join me in remembering their faces as they inch closer to the podium with a dogged determination of waving the Tiranga with pride,” the Indian cricketer added.

The promotional video also featured faces of some of the Paris Olympics-bound athletes such as javelin-thrower Neeraj Chopra, boxers Preeti Pawar and Nishant Dev, Indian men’s 4x400m relay team members Amoj Jacob, Muhammad Ajmal, and Mijo Chacko Kurian.

Neeraj commented to the tweet post of Kohli as he wrote: “Thank you for your support, @imVkohli bhai.”

Thank you for your support, @imVkohli bhai. 🙏🇮🇳

— Neeraj Chopra (@Neeraj_chopra1) July 15, 2024

Neeraj Chopra eyes to defend his gold at Paris Olympics 2024

Neeraj Chopra became the first Indian track and field athlete to win a medal in Olympics, standalone a gold medal. He threw a massive distance of 87.58m to clinch the historic gold three years ago in the Japan capital. The Haryana-based athlete will have a lot of expectations from the home fans to finish at the podium.

The preparations are evident that the 26-year-old will leave no stone unturned to continue his remarkable legacy with the javelin. Chopra finished second at the Doha Diamond League in May with a 88.36m throw. He returned to the Indian domestic circuit after a three-year hiatus to win gold medal with a distance of 82.27m. His last participation was the one at Paavo Nurmi Games in Turku, where he finished first with a moderate throw of 85.97m.