
How Neeraj Chopra made fan's wish come true with all expenses paid trip for inaugural NC Classic
Javelin star Neeraj Chopra made a fan's wish come true when he offered him a full VVIP experience, including an all expense paid trip to the upcoming Neeraj Chopra Classic, set in Bengaluru on July 5. On Wednesday, the fan had posted on X, saying that if anyone could give him Rs 2000, he would go to watch the event.
'If anyone sponsor me 2000 rupees, I can go to watch this from Coimbatore,' the Ranjith, the fan posted. Much to everyone's delight, Neeraj quote tweeted the post, saying that, ''Hi, Ranjith. You've got a full VVIP experience waiting for you in Bengaluru because your trip to the nc_classic is on me! And thanks to RadissonHotels, you'll be staying about 90 metres away from me. See you soon.
The NC Classic was postponed from its original May 24 date last month due to the India-Pakistan cross-border conflict last month.
Hi, Ranjith. You've got a full VVIP experience waiting for you in Bengaluru because your trip to the @nc_classic is on me! 😊
And thanks to @RadissonHotels, you'll be staying about 90 metres away from me. See you soon! 😉 https://t.co/aQvkNEnLry
— Neeraj Chopra (@Neeraj_chopra1) June 27, 2025
Some of the world's top stars are set to line up for the event at the Kanteerava Stadium next month. Former World Champions Anderson Peters and Julius Yego, as well as Rio 2016 champion Thomas Rohler, were among the international stars confirmed to participate in the event. Neeraj had also reached out to the reigning Olympic champion, Pakistan's Arshad Nadeem, who later opted out of the event.
Neeraj, in a press conference last month, had said hosting this event, which was given Category A status by World Athletics, was a dream come true for him. 'People always ask me about what next after the Olympics, World Championships, Diamond League, etc. All my medals are special and are kept at home. It's great that I have won those. But, this… hosting such an event, I actually feel that I have given something back to Indian athletics,' he had said. Originally, Neeraj had said Pakistan's Arshad Nadeem was invited, just as most of the top javelin throwers in the world were. But he issued a statement later saying Nadeem's participation was out of question after the events of Pahalgam where 26 civilians were killed in the terrorist attack on April 22.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Indian Express
an hour ago
- Indian Express
100m in 9.75 seconds: Jamaican sprinter Kishane Thompson clocks fastest time in a decade
A little more than 75 days before the World Championships, Olympic silver medallist Kishane Thompson laid down the marker by running the fastest time in a decade and sixth-fastest 100m race of all time. The sprinter ran a world-leading personal best of 9.75 seconds to win the men's 100m at the Jamaican Championships in Kingston on Friday. He recorded the timing despite a headwind of 0.8 m/s. Thompson's sprint elevates him to sixth on the all-time list, according to the World Athletics and it is also the fastest time since 2015. The 9.75 second sprint did not come out of the blue as two hours earlier, in the semifinals, he scorched the track with a timing of 9.80 seconds. 'I'm never going to surprise myself, because I know how capable I am,' Thompson was quoted as saying by World Athletics. 'I am very confident; even if I break the world record, it wouldn't surprise me because I am that confident, and I'm working to achieve all my goals and the accolades.' Oblique Seville, a finalist at the past three World Championships, overcame some pre-race discomfort to finish second in a season's best of 9.83, just 0.02 shy of his personal best. Ackeem Blake, a 2024 Diamond League champion, finished third with a timing of 9.88, also a personal best. Jamaica's depth in the women's 100m sprint was also on display as pre-race favourite Shericka Jackson, a three-time defending champion, and sentimental favourite Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce were stunned by two-time world U20 champion Tina Clayton. Clayton had missed out on the final last year but she made amends this time, clocking a personal best of 10.81 to win the title. Jackson came second with a season best time of 10.88 while Fraser-Pryce recorded a third-place finish by finishing the race in 10.91 seconds. 'One thing I knew I had on my side was experience,' said Fraser-Pryce, now 38. 'I am grateful for that fighting spirit that says it's never over until it's over, and once I step on the start line, I am ready. Knowing that I'm not race sharp and running 10.91 is a big deal. She added: 'Many people don't know that Japan is where I started my first senior international championships. It's such a full circle moment for me to be going back to Japan.'


Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
French rugby official calls India's franchise rugby league an 'interesting try'
Christophe Reigt, general manager of the French Rugby Federation and part of France's gold medal-winning rugby sevens contingent at the Paris Olympics, described India's new Rugby Premier League as 'an interesting try' and a development worth watching closely. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Reigt, who visited Mumbai to observe the ongoing tournament, noted that the league's format, structure, and player participation model mark a notable shift in how rugby sevens is typically played. 'This is a very new product of rugby sevens, and we were keen to find out what is happening,' Reigt said, adding that the franchise-based model, along with the structure of teams playing one match per day, offers players much-needed recovery time—something rarely seen in the fast-paced sevens circuit. The league has featured top-tier international names, including Olympic and World Cup veterans, alongside Indian players who have shown promise through the tournament. Reigt highlighted this interaction as a vital opportunity for local talent. 'Indian players are able to play with some of the best international players and gain an understanding of the level and calibre required at the top,' he said. Among the standout Indian performers is Javed Hussain, who currently ranks among the top try-scorers in the league. Reigt sees such exposure as a stepping stone. 'This is a first step for Indian players to stay more in touch with high-level rugby. Hopefully, they will continue to get more opportunities like this throughout the year,' he said. Reigt also welcomed the fact that the international calendar had made space for the league, allowing high-profile players to participate. 'It's a very good idea to have international stars showcasing the sport at a high level—it's an interesting way of developing Indian rugby,' he said.


India Gazette
2 hours ago
- India Gazette
'No pressure, only enthusiasm': Varun Tomar is excited for Shooting League of India
New Delhi [India], June 28 (ANI): Varun Tomar, a prominent Indian shooter who won a gold medal at the 2022 ISSF World Cup in Cairo, is poised to be one of the flagship players in the tournament and has expressed his excitement for the inaugural edition of the Shooting League of India (SLI). The first edition of the SLI is all set to kick off this year in Delhi. Aiming to help push shooting as a sport further into the Indian and global mainstream and provide increased exposure to the shooters, the buzz surrounding the tournament is starting to spread among the athletes, with more than 400 athletes from within India, and around the world having registered to partake in the inaugural edition of the tournament. Considered one of the best young shooters in the country, he is most prominently known for his role in helping secure India a quota in the 2024 Paris Olympics by winning a gold medal in the 10m air pistol event at the Asian Olympics Qualifiers in Jakarta. The shooter praised the increased exposure the Shooting League of India would bring to shooters and said as quoted from a press release by SLI, 'People would come to know us, and our personalities better, like we have seen with athletes from other sports like Neeraj Chopra, people would come to understand shooters more deepl.l' He also expressed his joy in playing in front of an Indian crowd, stating, 'Playing in front of an Indian crowd, in front of my own people, brings in a different kind of feeling for me, it requires a different mentality and mindset. There exists this added desire to do well in such an environment.' When asked if playing in India would bring about added pressure, he said, 'Not pressure, but enthusiasm.' The 21-year-old also hoped that the league would help expand the shooting community further, saying, 'Shooting is a great sport. India as a whole has a great shooting programme now and people also enjoy following the sport and our success. The league will present a great opportunity for people to gain an even more understanding about the sport and will help in increasing its popularity. The more people participate, the more competition will increase within India.' The 36-member Indian contingent recently delivered a successful performance at the 2025 ISSF World Cup in Munich, winning four medals - two gold and two bronze. India finished third in the overall medal tally, trailing only the People's Republic of China and Norway. He shed more light on the environment and reception towards the league among the shooting community, 'The environment is quite nice, positive vibes are flowing around the camp right now. There is a good feeling and excitement as the World Cups will be followed by the league, where we get to prove ourselves further.' He signed off by talking about how the league would bring about changes in the shooting culture, 'We play many World Cups, World Championships, and Asian Championships, but the league will have a different format, different selection policies. It will be a unique experience, a unique feeling, so we are all looking forward to the challenge.' (ANI)