On July 4, 2025, Neeraj Chopra, India’s Olympic gold medalist in javelin, talked about his big dream to make athletics huge in India. He’s starting with the first-ever Neeraj Chopra Classic (NC Classic), a big javelin competition happening on July 5, 2025, at Sree Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru. Neeraj’s not just throwing in this event—he’s helping put it together! He told IANS news that he wants Indian athletes to compete with the world’s best right here in India. The NC Classic is a World Athletics ‘A category’ event, which is like a super important gold-level competition in the Continental Tour. It’s a huge deal for India!
Wow, Neeraj’s bringing a world-class javelin event to India? That’s so cool! I’m super excited for this!
Why Neeraj Wants This
Neeraj’s already won big stuff, like a gold medal at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, a silver at the Paris 2024 Olympics, and the 2023 World Championships. Now, he wants to make javelin and all of athletics way bigger in India. His dream is to have an event where top international athletes come to India and compete with our athletes. The NC Classic is making that happen! The World Athletics group, the Athletics Federation of India (AFI), big companies, and the Karnataka government are all helping out. Neeraj’s thrilled to throw against global stars like Julius Yego from Kenya in his home country.
Neeraj’s dream is awesome! I love that he’s getting the world’s best athletes to India to inspire our players.
Who’s Throwing in the Event?
The NC Classic will have 12 amazing javelin throwers. Neeraj is joined by four other Indian athletes: Sachin Yadav, Rohit Yadav, Sahil Silwal, and Yashvir Singh. There are also big international names like:
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Thomas Röhler from Germany, who won the 2016 Olympics.
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Julius Yego from Kenya, who won the 2015 World Championships.
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Curtis Thompson from the USA, who won the 2023 Pan American Games.
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Luiz Mauricio da Silva from Brazil.
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Rumesh Pathirage from Sri Lanka. Sadly, Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem, who beat Neeraj for gold at Paris 2024, can’t come because he’s training for another event. This is a huge lineup, and Indian fans get to see these champs throw live!
So many cool athletes in Bengaluru! It’s gonna be a super fun competition, even if Arshad’s not there.
Planning for the 2036 Olympics
When asked what India needs to do to host the 2036 Olympics, Neeraj said we need to hold big events like the NC Classic and even the Diamond League, a famous yearly track and field competition. These events show the world India can handle huge sports events. Neeraj also thanked the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS), which pays for his training and trips to compete abroad. He wants India to host four or five big events every year to get ready for the Olympics. The NC Classic is just the start, and he hopes to make it yearly and add other sports like running or jumping later.
Hosting the Olympics? That’s such a big dream! NC Classic is a great first step, and I’m so excited for India!
Neeraj’s Great Year
He has been rocking it in 2025! He started in April at the Potch Invitational in South Africa, winning with an 84.52-meter throw. In May, he made history at the Doha Diamond League, throwing 90.23 meters to break the 90-meter mark and set a new Indian record, though he got second place. He also got second at the Janusz Kusocinski Memorial in Poland with 84.14 meters, then won the Paris Diamond League with 88.16 meters and the Golden Spike in Czechia with 85.29 meters. He’s training with Jan Zelezny, a legend who holds the world record at 98.48 meters.
Throwing over 90 meters? That’s nuts! Neeraj’s so good, and I’m so proud he’s India’s star.
Staying Chill and Focused
Neeraj said he doesn’t feel any pressure, even with everyone watching. He always gives his all and stays calm, whether he’s competing in India or abroad. Hitting 90 meters in Doha was a huge moment, and he’s super happy but still wants to throw even farther. He’s also excited to help Indian athletics with the NC Classic, which lets young athletes compete with the best and earn points for big events like the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo.
Neeraj’s so relaxed and awesome! It’s great that he’s helping young athletes while throwing like a champ.
Why This Is So Important
The NC Classic is a big deal because it’s India’s first World Athletics Gold-level javelin event. It puts India on the world’s sports map and shows we can host huge competitions. Fans get to see Neeraj and other champs live, which could get kids excited about javelin or other sports. The event helps Indian athletes earn World Athletics ranking points without going abroad, which is super helpful. Neeraj’s big dream is to make athletics as popular as cricket in India, and with help from World Athletics, AFI, and Karnataka, this could lead to India hosting bigger events like the Diamond League or even the 2036 Olympics. It’s a giant step for Indian sports!
This is so thrilling! Neeraj’s making history, and I can’t wait to see India become a sports superstar. What do you think about his big plans? Tell me!