Gold Medalist Neeraj Chopra 'most mentioned' athlete globally on Instagram: Research

Javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra made the country proud as he won India's first gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics. Neeraj Chopra became an overnight star and reportedly garnered more than a million followers on social media on Instagram. Now, research consultancy firm YouGov SPORT has reported that Neeraj Chopra has become the mentioned athlete globally on Instagram and his social media valuation has spiked to Rs 438 crore. 

Neeraj Chopra net worth and social media valuation

Securing the first-ever Olympic Gold medal for India in a track and field event, javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra's sensational on-field performance has translated seamlessly into a digital phenomenon, making the 23-year-old athlete immensely popular on social media.

As per a report by research consultancy firm YouGov SPORT quoted, Neeraj Chopra recorded over 2.9 million mentions from over 1.4 million authors, making him the 'most mentioned' athlete globally on Instagram during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

These numbers also represent a whopping 1401% and 2055% increase in his mentions from separate authors online, respectively. As a result, Neeraj Chopra's reach on social and digital media has reached a staggering 412 million, spanning several geographies over the world. These numbers have combined to take the athlete's social media valuation to a total of INR 428 crores.

Neeraj Chopra's earnings from social media

As per the report by YouGov SPORT, Neeraj Chopra's total interactions on social media since bagging the Gold medal have risen to 12.79 million, at a rate of 86.3%. A key factor in the increased engagement on the athlete's profile has been the steady increase in his video views, which is recorded at 4.05 million, nearly thrice the average for an elite Indian athlete on social media.

Neeraj Chopra is also presently eclipsing established international cricketers like KL Rahul and Rishab Pant in terms of total interactions and overall reach on social media. Naturally, the number of account followers for Neeraj Chopra has also seen a swift upswing, with his Instagram following now recorded at 4.4 million, representing a 2297% increase in his followers.

Neeraj Chopra Tokyo Olympics

A pre-tournament medal contender, the 23-year-old, Neeraj Chopra fuelled the country's expectations by topping the qualification round with a stunning first-round throw of 86.59m. By winning the gold at Tokyo Olympics, Neeraj Chopra delivered India's elusive Olympic medal in athletics and end a wait of 100 years. Not only this, but Chopra also became the only second individual athlete to win gold for India; Abhinav Bindra had won the first gold medal in the 2008 Beijing Games.

Three track and field athletes were part of the five-member Indian team at the 1920 Olympics in Antwerp, Belgium -- the other two being wrestlers. Since then, no Indian had won a medal in athletics.

A farmer's son from Khandra village near Panipat in Haryana who took up athletics to shed flab, therefore, Neeraj Chopra scripted history by winning the elusive medal, which the likes of late Milkha Singh and P T Usha let it slip from their grasp in 1964 and 1984 editions.

(Inputs: ANI)

(Image: AP)