 "Neeraj Chopra Classic moved to Bengaluru, javelin star confirms he has invited Pakistan's Arshad Nadeem")
India’s Olympic hero Neeraj Chopra has announced that his long-awaited invitational javelin event, the Neeraj Chopra Classic (NC Classic), will now take place in Bengaluru instead of Panchkula. The event, which was originally scheduled to be held at Tau Devi Lal Stadium, has now been shifted to Sree Kanteerava Outdoor Stadium in Bengaluru. It will be held on the same date, 24 May.
Explaining the venue change, Neeraj said the stadium lighting in Panchkula did not meet the international standards required by World Athletics.
In an online press conference on Monday, Neeraj confirmed the update and shared exciting details about the competition, which has been officially granted Category A status by World Athletics, meaning it will carry major ranking points for qualification to global events like the World Championships.
A dream come true for Neeraj
Neeraj said organising a world-class javelin event in India has been a long-time dream for him. “This has been a long-standing dream. When I travelled abroad, I was in awe of the global competitions and how the athletes were supported there. I often wondered if India could host an event of that standard, where top athletes from around the world would come to compete, and our athletes could share the field with them. Finally, such an event is going to happen in India,” he said.
The idea of naming the event after himself came from a conversation with his coach Jan Zelezny, who pointed to other similar events like the Mondo Classic, named after pole vault star Mondo Duplantis.
“The idea behind the Neeraj Chopra Classic is inspired by a few athletes and my discussions with coach Jan Zelezny. He suggested naming the event after me, as Mondo Duplantis has an event named after him, and there are other similar events as well. I found inspiration in these and am really excited about it,” he added.
Big names confirmed
Neeraj shared a preliminary list of international stars who have confirmed their participation in the NC Classic.
Anderson Peters (Grenada)
Thomas Rohler (Germany)
Julius Yego (Kenya)
Curtis Thompson (USA)
Athletes from Brazil and other European countries
Neeraj himself will also compete at the event, making it a rare chance for Indian fans to see the Tokyo Olympics champion throw live on home soil.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsNeeraj on Arshad Nadeem
When asked about Pakistan’s Olympic gold medallist Arshad Nadeem, Neeraj said the invitation has been sent, and Arshad told him he would discuss with his coach before confirming. As of now, there is no official word, but Neeraj is hoping he will join.
Though Neeraj and Arshad are fierce competitors on the field, they share a good bond off it. Their friendship became well known after the Paris Olympics, when defending champion Neeraj’s mother praised Arshad for his record-breaking throw that denied her son the gold medal.
 "Russian drones over Poland: Trump’s tepid reaction a wake-up call for Nato?")
 "As Russia pushes east, Ukraine faces mounting pressure to defend its heartland")
 "Why Mossad was not on board with Israel’s strike on Hamas in Qatar")
 "Turkey: Erdogan's police arrest opposition mayor Hasan Mutlu, dozens officials in corruption probe")
 "Russian drones over Poland: Trump’s tepid reaction a wake-up call for Nato?")
 "As Russia pushes east, Ukraine faces mounting pressure to defend its heartland")
 "Why Mossad was not on board with Israel’s strike on Hamas in Qatar")
 "Turkey: Erdogan's police arrest opposition mayor Hasan Mutlu, dozens officials in corruption probe")
