Athlete Neeraj Chopra signed up as ‘Friendship Ambassador’ of Switzerland

NEW DELHI: Switzerland Tourism has appointed Olympic gold medalist Neeraj Chopra as its ‘Friendship Ambassador’ to showcase and promote locations in the country to Indian travellers. Chopra will share his experiences in the country to showcase it as the ideal destination for outdoors and the best destination for hiking, biking, soft and extreme adventure and of course snow sports, the board said in a statement. Chopra said, “When visiting, what got me excited was the chance to experience the adventurous side of the country with my closest friends. I was thrilled to show them Interlaken and Zermatt, known for their adventure activities but also that it’s possible to enjoy the outdoors in Geneva. We tried everything from canyon swing to river rafting to paragliding and skydiving amongst other activities.”Misha Gambetta, director, India, Swiss tourism board, said, “India is a very important long-haul market for us. It is great to have a friendship ambassador from India representing Switzerland. He is an Indian icon and a very outdoorsy person, and he will be the perfect person to showcase the sporty and outdoor side of Switzerland as well as allow us to promote lesser-known sides of the country. We look forward to working towards a successful campaign with him.” said After winning the Diamond league championships in Zurich in September this year, it said, Chopra and his friends who joined him in the country, covered canyon jumping, skydiving, jet boating as well as snow scooters and sleds. He also took up monster biking, hiking, paragliding and a helicopter tour in Zermatt. Ritu Sharma, deputy director of the board, added, “More and more Indians are realizing the importance of enjoying the outdoors and of being active. Through our association with Neeraj Chopra, we hope to tap into that opportunity. We will be closely working with him to promote Switzerland through his eyes as a sportsperson who loves the outdoors.“The athlete donated his gold-winning javelin to The Olympic Museum in Lausanne, Switzerland, in September. The museum founded by the International Olympic Committee in 1993 showcases the richness and diversity of Olympics through history, culture, design, technology, and sociology with sports as the main element. Mary Kom’s gloves as well as Dhyan Chand’s hockey are a part of the exhibits at the museum.