Neeraj Chopra Classic: World’s Best Javelin Throwers to Compete in India
Neeraj Chopra Classic: World’s Best Javelin Throwers to Compete in India
Get ready for some serious javelin action! The Neeraj Chopra Classic, a brand new international javelin meet, is coming to Bengaluru on May 24th. This isn’t just any meet, though – it’s been given the prestigious Gold-Label status by World Athletics, making it the biggest athletics event ever held in India!
Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra is organizing the event with JSW Sports, working alongside the Athletics Federation of India and World Athletics. They’ve got a star-studded lineup of international throwers ready to compete, including:
- Anderson Peters (Grenada) – The reigning world champion from 2019 and 2022, with a personal best of 93.07m
- Thomas Röhler (Germany) – The 2016 Olympic gold medalist, whose personal best is a whopping 93.90m
- Julius Yego (Kenya) – The 2015 world champion and 2016 Olympic silver medalist, with a personal best of 92.72m
- Curtis Thompson (United States) – The 2023 Pan-American Games champion and current season leader with a throw of 87.76m
- Genki Dean (Japan) – The 2023 Asian Games bronze medalist, and his personal best is 84.28m
- Luiz Mauricio da Silva (Brazil) – A multiple-time South American podium finisher, with a personal best of 85.91m
- Rumesh Pathirage (Sri Lanka) – A promising young talent with a personal best of 85.45m
India’s own javelin squad will be announced soon, so there’s plenty more excitement to come! Unfortunately, Olympic champion Arshad Nadeem from Pakistan won’t be joining the competition. He explained that he needs to focus on the Asian Athletics Championships in South Korea, which take place just days after the Neeraj Chopra Classic.
This meet is a huge deal for Indian athletics. It brings some of the world’s best throwers to India, offering valuable world ranking points. It’s also a chance to inspire young athletes and put India firmly on the global track and field map.
