Neeraj Chopra was on Sunday awarded ₹1 crore by Chennai Super Kings for having won a gold medal in javelin at the recent Tokyo Olympics. Neeraj was also presented with a special jersey bearing the number 8758 to highlight his medal-winning effort of 87.58m.

Neeraj thanked the CSK management for the support and said the past two months had been an opportunity for him to experience new things. “Thank you so much for your support and for the prize. It feels good. The last two months have been hectic and an opportunity to experience new things. I never thought that I’ll get so much love after winning gold. It was completely unexpected and it feels good. Hopefully I’ll work hard and get good results,” Chopra said.

CSK CEO K. S. Viswanathan said, “The entire nation is proud of Neeraj for his stupendous achievement. By becoming the first Indian to win a medal (gold) in the track and field, he has set a benchmark and is an inspiration for the next generation. 87.58 is a number that will forever be etched in Indian sporting history and it’s an honour for us to present this special jersey to Neeraj. We wish he brings more glory to the nation.”