As soon as a dejected Vinesh Phogat returned to the nation after her dream of winning an Olympic medal was shattered for being 100 gm overweight. She has received a rousing reception from the fans in India, people rather than pulling her down supported her wholeheartedly for putting up a valiant fight and defeating all the odds. Her brand value has soared like never before, According to a report in the Economic Times, at least 15 brands have lined up to sign her. The Indian wrestler’s endorsement fee has soared from Rs 25 lakh before the games to 1 crore per deal per year according to brands.
"Marketers are approaching us, citing not only her performance but the grace with which she conducted herself, despite being defeated by the system," said Tuhin Mishra, cofounder of Baseline Ventures which represents Vinesh.
Other than Vinesh the brands are keen to have the Olympic athletes as the face of their brands across categories such as packaged foods, health, nutrition, jewelry, banking, and education, executives in the know said. Phogat, who previously endorsed Nike and Country Delight, is now joined by other standout athletes like Neeraj Chopra and Manu Bhaker.
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Golden Boy’s Brand Value
Neeraj Chopra, after securing his second Olympic medal, has made history and significantly boosted his brand value. Known as the Golden Boy of India following his gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics in 2020, Chopra had already established a strong reputation and high brand value before the Paris Games. However, winning a second medal has elevated his status even further. According to Kroll Neeraj with a brand valuation of 330 cr is set to eclipse Hardik Pandya. He is the highest-valued non-cricketer among Indian sportspersons. The silver medal win has increased his brand value to USD 40 million (Rs 330 crore approx.) from USD 29.6 million, as per the Economic Times and data provided by financial advisory firm Kroll. Until 2023, Chopra’s brand value stood at $29.6 million, according to the same data.
Manu’s Olympic success leads her to big deals
Meanwhile, According to a report in Firstpost, India’s Paris Games star athlete Manu Bhaker has also witnessed surplus brands lined up to sign her. Manu won two medals at the Paris Olympics 2024. She recently signed a new Rs 1.5 crore deal with soft drink brand ThumsUp, She used to charge a Rs 25 lakh deal per year for endorsement and is set to charge more now. The company that manages her has revealed that The 22-year-old has been approached by 40 brands after Paris Olympics medal wins.
Manu Bhaker won the first medal for the country in the Women's Individual 10-meter Air Pistol at the Paris Olympics. Along with this, she won another bronze in the mixed event along with Sarabjot Singh. She is the first Indian to win 2 medals in the same Olympics. Both Neeraj and Manu made their name in the elite list of PV Sindhu and Sushil Kumar – Indian athletes to win two Olympic medals.
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