NEW DELHI: The Neeraj Chopra Classic, a new international javelin meet, will be held on May 24 at Bengaluru’s Sree Kanteerava Stadium. The one‑day competition has been given Gold‑Label status by World Athletics, making it the highest‑graded athletics event ever staged in India.
Neeraj Chopra is organising the meet with JSW Sports, in partnership with the Athletics Federation of India and World Athletics.
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On Thursday, the organisers announced the list of international stars for the Neeraj Chopra Classic competition.
Star athletes confirmed
- Anderson Peters (Grenada) – World champion in 2019 and 2022, personal best 93.07 m.
- Thomas Röhler (Germany) – 2016 Olympic gold‑medallist, personal best 93.90 m.
- Julius Yego (Kenya) – 2015 world champion and 2016 Olympic silver‑medallist, personal best 92.72 m.
- Curtis Thompson (United States) – 2023 Pan‑American Games champion, season leader at 87.76 m.
- Genki Dean (Japan) – 2023 Asian Games bronze‑medallist, personal best 84.28 m.
- Luiz Mauricio da Silva (Brazil) – Multiple South American podiums, personal best 85.91 m.
- Rumesh Pathirage (Sri Lanka) – Promising talent, personal best 85.45 m.
India’s own javelin squad for the meet will be announced soon.
Olympic champion from Pakistan, Arshad Nadeem, has declined Neeraj Chopra’s invitation to compete.
In an interview with PTI, Nadeem said he must focus on the Asian Athletics Championships, which take place in Gumi, Korea from 27 to 31 May.
He is scheduled to leave for Korea on 22 May, two days before the Bengaluru meet.
The Neeraj Chopra Classic brings several of the world’s top throwers to India in the same competition. The Gold‑Label status also means valuable world‑ranking points are on offer.
For Indian athletics, hosting a meet of this calibre is intended to inspire young athletes and place the country more firmly on the global track‑and‑field calendar.
