NEERAJ CHOPRA has spent his life mastering the precision of a javelin’s flight, but the Olympic champion is now turning his attention to a different kind of trajectory: the long-term future of Indian athletics. Moving beyond the confines of the arena, India’s most celebrated sports star has launched his own venture, Vel Sports, marking a bold transition from pure competitor to sports entrepreneur.
He is not taking this leap alone. At the helm of the new firm is his wife, Himani Mor, who serves as the managing director. For the power couple, Vel Sports is not merely a business; it is a manifestation of a shared vision to professionalize the support systems available to Indian athletes, ensuring they can achieve longevity in their careers while maintaining peak performance.
From a Sporting Connection to a Professional Partnership
The narrative of Chopra and Mor is deeply rooted in the soil of Haryana. Hailing from Panipat and Sonipat respectively, the pair share a bond that predates Chopra’s meteoric rise to global stardom. Their connection traces back to 2016, long before the Olympic golds and World Championship titles defined his legacy. They first crossed paths at the Sports Authority of India (SAI) training centre in Sonipat, a nexus for the state’s most promising talent.
Mor, a former international-level tennis player, brings a pedigree of her own. Her family background is steeped in sport—her father captained the Indian team at the first circle kabaddi World Cup in 1983, and her cousins have excelled in combat sports like boxing and wrestling. Following a private wedding ceremony in Solan in January 2025, the couple formalized their professional partnership in early 2026. By combining Chopra’s unparalleled experience at the highest level of international competition with Mor’s academic background in sports management, they have created a firm that understands the nuances of the athletic lifestyle from the inside out.
Why Neeraj Chopra Needed a New Direction
For a decade, Chopra was a mainstay of JSW Sports, the organization that facilitated his ascent from a junior prospect to a Tokyo Olympic gold medallist and Paris 2024 silver medallist. While his departure from the group was amicable—marked by mutual respect and a shared pride in past successes—the transition to self-management was a strategic necessity.
“Neeraj wanted his own trusted team to take care of everything so he could focus on the sport,” Mor explained in an interview. As Chopra eyes the next six years of his competitive career, he is shifting his objective. While he continues to push the limits of his physical capabilities, he is increasingly focused on the “legacy” aspect of his profession. The goal is no longer just about standing on podiums; it is about changing the mindset of the next generation, instilling a belief that Indian athletes can dominate the world stage consistently.
The Athlete-First Philosophy of Vel Sports
The core philosophy driving Vel Sports is the “athlete-first” approach. In an era where commercial commitments, brand endorsements, and media obligations are an unavoidable part of an elite athlete’s life, finding the balance is notoriously difficult. Mor emphasizes that for those who have stood on the track, the cost of a missed training session is crystal clear.
“We want to create an ecosystem that works around the athlete’s schedule, not the other way around,” Mor noted. By prioritizing recovery and training load, the agency aims to ensure that an athlete’s commercial profile never comes at the expense of their performance. This model, while relatively new in the Indian landscape, draws inspiration from international icons like LeBron James and Lewis Hamilton, as well as Indian pioneers like Sunil Gavaskar, who recognized the importance of professional management in securing an athlete’s future long before the digital age made it a standard requirement.
Building a Legacy Beyond the Podium
Chopra’s ambitions extend far beyond the day-to-day management of talent. Through the Neeraj Chopra Foundation, the duo is actively reshaping the bedrock of Indian sports. One of their most significant contributions is the August 2026 launch of the Indian School of Coaching Excellence, an initiative developed alongside badminton icon Pullela Gopichand’s Badminton Gurukul and AISTS INDIA.
The institution focuses on the vital, often overlooked, element of the sporting chain: the coaches. By creating multi-disciplinary programs that synthesize sports science, physical literacy, and modern technology, the Foundation seeks to bridge the gap between talent identification and world-class development. Additionally, the Foundation’s partnership with the Indian Olympic Association on anti-doping awareness highlights Chopra’s commitment to “Clean Sport,” leveraging his immense public influence to safeguard the integrity of competition.
As Neeraj Chopra continues to chase records on the field, the work being done at Vel Sports signals that his greatest impact on Indian sports may still be ahead of him. By building a sustainable, athlete-centric business model, the couple is not just managing a career—they are constructing the infrastructure for the next century of Indian champions.
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