Neeraj Chopra exits JSW Sports, launches athlete-centric venture ‘VEL Sports’

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Synopsis:

Olympic gold medalist Neeraj Chopra has concluded his tenure with JSW Sports and launched a new independent venture, VEL Sports. The move signals Chopra’s ambition to shape athlete management from an athlete’s point of view, emphasizing personalized career development, sponsorships, and global sporting representation.

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India’s Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra has announced his departure from JSW Sports, ending a long-standing association with the athlete management and sports development firm. In its place, Chopra is setting up his own sports management venture, VEL Sports, which aims to redefine how elite athletes are represented and supported on and off the field.

VEL — short for “Victory, Excellence, Legacy” — will focus on building strategic career paths for athletes, offering tailored guidance across endorsements, brand building, international representation, and training development. With this move, Chopra not only assumes control of his own commercial and professional journey but also positions himself as a mentor and leader for the next generation of Indian sports talent.

JSW Sports, which has managed Chopra since 2015, played a pivotal role in his development into a global icon, especially after his historic javelin gold at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. The separation has been described as amicable, with mutual respect for the foundation built over nearly a decade.

In launching VEL Sports, Chopra joins a growing trend of top-tier athletes creating their own sports firms, mirroring global icons like LeBron James and Serena Williams. The move underscores the increasing autonomy of sports stars in India and their willingness to take charge of their brand narratives and long-term impact.

As Indian athletics continues to rise on the global stage, Chopra’s pivot from managed athlete to managing influence is both symbolic and strategic — marking a shift in how power, voice, and representation are evolving in Indian sport.