"I will pay 100089 Rupees to lucky winner" - Rishabh Pant announces unique draw if Neeraj Chopra wins Gold in Paris 2024
Indian wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant announced that he'll take out a lucky draw of ₹100,089 for his X followers if world-beating javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra retains his gold medal in the 2024 Paris Olympics on Thursday, August 8.
To make the out-of-the-blue announcement more interesting, Pant stated he'll give the other "top 10" people "flight tickets" without mentioning the destination, calling it an attempt to "get support" for Neeraj.
Chopra threw his season-best of 89.34 meters in his first attempt in the qualification round on Tuesday, August 6, to finish first among the top 12 to make it to the final.
"If Neeraj chopra win a gold medal tomorrow," Pant said in a post on X. "I will pay 100089 Rupees to lucky winner who likes the tweet and comment most . And for the rest top 10 people trying to get the atttention will get flight tickets . Let’s get support from india and outside the world for my brother (sic)"
Neeraj Chopra will face tough competition from the eight other throwers (which is a rare big number) who qualified directly by hitting over the 84-meter mark and would have the extra motivation of becoming the first Indian with two individual gold medals in the Olympics.
"Supporting our athletes is crucial, regardless of the outcome" - Rishabh Pant
In another post on X, which came a few minutes after the first one, Pant spoke about supporting the athletes irrespective of the outcome of their efforts.
"I completely agree! Supporting our athletes is crucial, regardless of the outcome. Their dedication, hard work, and the spirit they bring to the games is something we should all appreciate and celebrate. Let's show the world the incredible spirit of Indian sports indeed! 🇮🇳🏅"
Wrestler Vinesh Phogat will compete for gold in the women's 50kg freestyle final on Wednesday, August 7.