MAM
Golden arm, new aim as Neeraj Chopra parts ways with JSW Sports
MUMBAI: Every great throw has a follow-through. India’s javelin icon Neeraj Chopra and JSW Sports have formally ended their decade-long partnership, closing one of Indian sport’s most successful athlete–management chapters as Chopra steps into entrepreneurship with the launch of Vel Sports.
The association began in 2016, when Chopra was first identified through the JSW Sports Excellence Programme, a scouting moment that proved pivotal for both athlete and organisation. What followed was a ten-year journey marked by consistent global success and careful long-term athlete development, setting new benchmarks for Indian athletics.
Chopra’s rise rewrote history books. Nicknamed the ‘Man with the Golden Arm’, he became India’s first-ever Olympic gold medallist in track and field at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. He went on to clinch the World Athletics Championship gold in 2023 and added an Olympic silver at the Paris 2024 Olympics, alongside multiple podium finishes on the international circuit.
Unlike the traditional post-retirement pivot to business, Chopra has chosen to launch Vel Sports while still in his competitive prime. The move signals a shift from being managed to shaping athlete careers himself, with JSW Sports backing his transition and supporting the final leg of this evolution.
JSW Sports CEO Divyanshu Singh said the partnership reflected a shared philosophy of excellence and purpose, adding that the organisation was proud of the journey and Chopra’s decision to chart his own path. Chopra echoed the sentiment, crediting JSW Sports for playing a defining role in his career and carrying forward the same values into his next chapter.
As the two part ways, the tone is one of mutual respect rather than separation. JSW Sports continues its focus on nurturing India’s next generation of sporting talent, while Chopra’s Vel Sports marks a new ambition extending his impact beyond the runway and into the business of sport.
The javelin may still fly far, but for Neeraj Chopra, the next target is clearly off the field.
MAM
VML India lands two finalist spots at Cairns Hatchlings 2026
The Mumbai agency is back in Australia with two teams, a UN brief and 24 hours to impress
MUMBAI: VML India is heading to Australia again. The Mumbai-based creative agency has secured two finalist spots at the Cairns Hatchlings 2026 competition, one in the Audio category and one in Design, making it the only Indian agency to have reached the finals in both editions of the contest since its launch in 2025.
Four people will make the trip. Senior copywriter Shilpi Dey and senior art director Raj Thakkar will compete in Audio. Art directors Shabbir and Shruti Negi will go head-to-head with the world’s best in Design. The finals take place at the Cairns Convention Centre from 13th May, culminating in an awards ceremony on 15th May.
The work that got them there is worth examining. For the Audio category, Dey and Thakkar tackled a brief for LIVE LIKE MMAD with a campaign called Inner Voice, Interrupted. Using spatial audio techniques, the campaign recreates the overwhelming self-doubt that descends after a long workday, physically panning negative thoughts left and right before cutting the noise entirely to reveal a confident inner voice. Strategically targeted at commuters via Spotify during evening rush hours, the campaign reframes the hours after work as an opportunity for personal growth and charitable action.
For the Design category, Shabbir and Negi worked on a brief for Canteen’s Bandanna Day, a campaign highlighting how cancer pushes teenagers out of their own defining moments. Using a pixelated design language to create stark contrast between a blurred world of isolation and a focused world of connection, the campaign, titled The Flipside of Cancer, shows teenagers fading into the background of birthdays, skateparks and school proms. As a Canteen bandanna appears, the blur flips and the teenager snaps back into sharp focus.
Kalpesh Patankar, group chief creative officer of VML India, made no attempt to disguise his satisfaction. “We are immensely proud to see our teams consistently excel on the Cairns Hatchlings platform since its inception,” he said. “They have masterfully tackled challenging briefs across diverse categories, demonstrating both layered storytelling and a unique creative approach. This exceptional teamwork is truly inspiring.”
Dey and Thakkar, returning to the finals after last year’s run, were candid about the demands of the audio medium. “It’s one of the most demanding mediums, where we only have a few seconds to capture a listener’s world with sound alone, so absolute clarity is essential,” they said. “The true measure of creative work is its ability to create positive change, and our audio submission was made to help those who need it most while encouraging people to silence the inner voices that hold them back.”
Shabbir and Negi, competing in Design for the first time, described the experience as “a completely different beast.” “We see it as an opportunity to showcase our expertise, raise the bar, and challenge ourselves in new ways, while also learning from creative minds from across the globe,” they said.
In Australia, the four finalists will face a live 24-hour brief from the United Nations before presenting in a live pitch session. Twenty-four hours, one brief, one shot. VML India has been here before. It knows exactly what is at stake.
