Brand Pressure Takes Toll on Javelin Ace Neeraj Chopra

Money has intruded into sports so deep and entrenched itself so wide that sportspersons are willing to risk their fitness and suffer below par performance to fill their troves. India’s javelin ace Neeraj Chopra is the latest to join that bandwagon. He competed in the recent World Championships in Tokyo despite not being fit under the pressure of his prior advertisement commitments.

He threw 84.03 metres, finishing eighth among the competitors.  Later, he attributed his underperformance to his back problem. At the Paris Olympics last year also, it was his back injury which came in the way of striking the gold medal. It is obvious that the two-time Olympics and the World Championships medallist is increasingly facing pressure from his sponsors to compete, having no concern for his fitness.

Neeraj is worth $40 million (Rs 330 million) per annum. In fact, after Virat Kohli, the javelin king has become one of the most highly paid sportspersons in India following his silver medal at the Paris Olympics. He endorses global niche brands like Audi and Visa apart from 17 other Indian brands.  Brand pressure has taken a toll on many athletes. They are forced to compete in big riband events to ensure their presence. It has left Neeraj with no option but to compete despite not being fit.

First Draft spoke to some experts to understand how money is trumping games.

“Gone are the days when the health and fitness of athletes and sportspersons were top priority. In the good old days, brands would not spend even a fraction on leading sportspersons. Those times saw the sportspersons calling the shots as they would not compete even if they had a small niggle’’ A S. Raghavan, who has been associated with Baseline Sports, an event company which, among others, manages top shuttler PV Sindhu, says.

“Cut to the present days, brands are spending huge money on top athletes to endorse their products, But this comes with a rider---they just cannot withdraw or pull out from any top event, So you have a situation where an unfit Neeraj has had to go through the motions of competing,” he further says.

 “Athletes who tie up with niche brands are under intense pressure. It is very simple. The bigger the brand, the more it fetches. While a top sportsperson like Neeraj or Virat Kohli can have their way against small brands, there is simply no way for them to stand up to the bigger brands.  The brands control almost every facet of their lives – where they compete, which events to skip etc.  They are virtually breathing down their neck,” Raghavan says, laying bare the deal ruining the sports.

Brand pressure often creates physical and emotional stress for athletes. Prominent brand expert, Harish Bijoor, is of the view that many athletes suffer stress from brands.

“Top notch athletes like Neeraj often suffer from brand pressure. We often ignore the downside of the sponsorship of the big brands. It is not just about good performance—every move, each and every word they (sportspersons) speak has to be measured. It makes them go against their very nature; this is just one facet of it. Many times, athletes who are not fully fit are left with no other option but to compete as per the requirement of the sponsors,” says Bijoor.

S Ram, a former secretary of the Athletic Federation of India (AFI), feels that some years back athletes would stand up to their sponsors and clearly tell them that they were in no position to compete. But not any longer. “Now no matter how big an athlete is, it is the brand which calls the shots. The sponsors issue dictats which have to be blindly followed by the sponsoring athletes.  Non-compliance would lead to sponsorship withdrawal and censorship. In fact, most athletes hide their injuries in an attempt to show the sponsors that they are fit and justify the huge amounts invested in them,” says Ram. 

He further says that brands now treat athletes like commodities --- which is a matter of great concern. “Athletes are treated like commodities, often forgetting that they are individuals with emotions and vulnerabilities. For me, this ‘commodification’ of athletes is going to have disastrous results in their personal lives and performances. Somewhere somebody would have to draw the line for the brands to stop. I think that responsibility has to be taken by the sports federation to clearly tell the brands to stay within the limits,’’ he suggests.