Image Source: ANI News
The backdrop is ready for the first Neeraj Chopra Classic 2025, a historic javelin meet uniting some of the world's finest throwers in Bengaluru on May 24. While the meet will witness Olympic and world champions going head-to-head, the much-awaited India-Pakistan rivalry will be absent since Pakistan's Arshad Nadeem has withdrawn, paving the way for Sri Lanka's Rumesh Pathirage to become part of the elite squad.
Brief Introduction
The Neeraj Chopra Classic 2025, jointly presented by Olympic medalist Neeraj Chopra and JSW Sports along with the Athletics Federation of India and World Athletics, is India's first World Athletics Gold Label javelin event. To be held on May 24 at Kanteerava Stadium, Bengaluru, the event is shaping up as world-class spectacle, with international greats announced and the Indian participants awaited.
Important Points
Foreign Line-Up Declared
The competition has an incredible list of world javelin talent, including:
Anderson Peters (Grenada): Two-time World Champion (2019, 2022), personal record 93.07m.
Thomas Röhler (Germany): 2016 Olympic gold medallist, personal record 93.90m.
Julius Yego (Kenya): 2015 World Champion, 2016 Olympic silver medallist, personal record 92.72m.
Curtis Thompson (USA): 2023 Pan American Games champion, world leader this year, personal record 87.76m.
Genki Dean (Japan): 2023 Asian Games bronze medallist, personal record 84.28m.
Luiz Mauricio da Silva (Brazil): South America's champion, personal best 85.91m.
Rumesh Pathirage (Sri Lanka): Upcoming subcontinental star, personal best 85.45m.
No Arshad Nadeem: Why the Pakistani Star Is Not Participating
Pakistan's Olympic champion and Paris 2024 gold medallist Arshad Nadeem has not accepted the invite to compete.
Nadeem mentioned a conflict of schedule, putting his training for the Asian Athletics Championships in Korea, May 27–31, ahead of this invitation. He is to travel to Korea on May 22, two days prior to the Bengaluru meet.
Nadeem was thankful for the invitation but reiterated his need to peak for the continental championship.
Event Details and Significance
The Neeraj Chopra Classic 2025 is a World Athletics Gold Label (Continental Tour Gold-level) meet, placing it on top of international athletics competitions ever to be held in India.
Scheduled to be held in Panchkula, the competition was reallocated to Bengaluru's Kanteerava Stadium because of technical problems at the original venue.
The meet hopes to raise India's stature on the international track and field map and give Indian supporters a chance to see world-class javelin action on domestic soil.
Indian Line-Up Awaited
Indian line-up, likely to feature top guns like DP Manu and Shivpal Singh, has not been named yet, fuelling the wait.
Neeraj Chopra, the Olympic and world champion, tops the event, having just won his season opener in South Africa and an outing at the Doha Diamond League.
What's at Stake
The event provides valuable world-ranking points and a platform for Indian athletes to compete against the best of the best.
It is a milestone in Indian sporting history, hoping to motivate the next generation of track and field athletes.
Sources: Indian Express, Times of India, Olympics.com, Business Standard, Yes Punjab
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