For most elite athletes, retirement marks the beginning of a second career. They become commentators, coaches, administrators or entrepreneurs after their competitive years are over. Neeraj Chopra appears to be taking a different route.
While still chasing medals and preparing for the next phase of his athletics career, India’s Olympic legend has already started building what he hopes will become part of his long-term legacy beyond the runway. Earlier this year, Chopra launched Vel Sports Management, with his wife, former tennis player Himani Mor, taking over as Managing Director. Alongside it sits the Neeraj Chopra Foundation, which focuses on athlete development and grassroots initiatives.
The move places Chopra among a growing list of global sporting icons who have begun creating businesses while they are still competing rather than waiting until retirement.
Beyond endorsements
For over a decade, Chopra has become one of India’s most valuable sporting brands. Olympic gold, World Championship success and consistent performances on the Diamond League circuit have made him one of the country’s most sought-after athletes for commercial partnerships.
Launching a sports management company, however, signals a shift from simply signing endorsement contracts to helping shape how athletes manage their careers.
Speaking to The Indian Express, Mor said the objective was to create an ecosystem that puts athletes first instead of forcing them to fit around commercial commitments.
“We want to keep athletes and their priorities at the forefront. We want to create an ecosystem that works around athletes’ schedules, allows them to balance their training while also maintaining their professional commitments,” she said.
That philosophy stems from Chopra’s own experience. In the same report, the Olympic champion admitted he did not always know how to plan competitions or handle commercial opportunities early in his career and wants younger athletes to avoid the same challenges.
A growing global trend
Chopra’s move mirrors a model increasingly seen among some of the world’s biggest sporting names.
Basketball star LeBron James built LRMR Management while still playing in the NBA. Seven-time Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton has steadily expanded his business portfolio during his racing career, while American tennis player Coco Gauff launched her own management company before turning 21.
In India, Sunil Gavaskar was among the earliest athletes to step into sports management during his playing days through Professional Management Group in the 1980s.
Unlike traditional agencies that primarily negotiate sponsorship deals, athlete-owned ventures increasingly position themselves as long-term career partners, combining commercial strategy, branding, financial planning and athlete welfare under one roof.
Building an athlete-first model
Mor suggested Vel Sports intends to follow a similar path.
Rather than measuring success purely through endorsement revenue, the company wants brands to work around athletes’ training calendars, recognising that performance remains the foundation of every commercial opportunity.
“As athletes ourselves, we understand what it takes to perform at the highest levels,” she said.
“One missed training session can cost an athlete a lot.”
The broader ambition is to create a support system that allows athletes to pursue commercial partnerships without compromising elite performance.
That approach also reflects a wider change in Indian sport, where Olympic disciplines are producing athletes with increasing commercial value but relatively limited management infrastructure compared to cricket.
Thinking beyond competition
Perhaps the clearest indication of Chopra’s long-term thinking is that he has chosen to launch these ventures while remaining fully focused on competition.
According to Mor, Chopra still believes he has several years left as an elite athlete. His immediate priorities remain major championships, including the Commonwealth Games and future Olympic ambitions. Yet he is also planning for life beyond the javelin.
“He wants to create a legacy,” Mor told The Indian Express. “He wants the next generation to have the mindset that they can win at the highest levels.”
That legacy, it appears, may not be limited to medals alone. If Vel Sports succeeds, Chopra’s biggest contribution to Indian sport could eventually extend beyond what he achieves on the field, helping create a professional ecosystem where future athletes are better equipped to manage both their sporting careers and their commercial lives.
For India’s Olympic movement, that may prove to be as significant as another throw beyond 90 metres.