Neeraj Chopra On Getting His Namesake Event: 'I'm In A Dream...'
The Neeraj Chopra Classic is scheduled to unfold at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium on Saturday, featuring a lineup of top-tier athletes. Chopra himself has expressed a commitment to elevating the event's stature in the years to come.
'I feel like I'm in a dream," Chopra stated at a pre-event press conference on Friday. 'Medals are a different thing. But I've given something like this to India and to Indian athletes. I'm very happy about that. This is the beginning of a new chapter in our athletics." He added, 'The support I'm getting from everyone. From the government, from KOA (Karnataka Olympic Association), from World Athletics, from the sponsors… I feel like we can make this event even better."
Chopra articulated a clear vision: to see India host athletic competitions on par with those regularly held in traditional powerhouses like the United States and European nations.
'This is the beginning of international competitions in India," he asserted. 'As we see, there are so many international competitions in Germany and such nations – A category, B, C etc. and every week, there's a competition."
'So, this is what I want in India, as there should be at least 4, 5, 6 competitions which are world class. The athletes should get a chance and people should see them play. That will be very good for our sport," he explained.
'The athlete in me is always up for the competition," Chopra declared. 'That's why I'm trying to manage everything. My team is also handling so many things. But the athlete in me is always up. I'm training hard."
For Chopra, the event transcends personal glory; it represents the realisation of a long-held aspiration for Indian sport. 'I'm very happy that this is finally happening. I was at the gym yesterday and I saw other athletes throwing and that has been my dream. I will say it again that I never thought there would be an event like this.
'I never thought I would represent India and win a medal. All that has happened. Now, there's peace in my mind that something like this is happening."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Indian Express
19 minutes ago
- Indian Express
NC Classic: Good host and great competitor – Neeraj Chopra ready for his dream event on home soil
Sitting alongside two greats of men's javelin, Thomas Rohler and Julius Yego, Neeraj Chopra on Friday narrated a pinch-himself-moment from the previous evening. When at the gym in the Kanteerava Stadium, Neeraj saw Rohler and others training on the field. That's when it struck him that the Neeraj Chopra Classic, his dream project, was just 48 hours away. The two-time Olympic and World Championship medallist was overwhelmed. 'I was telling them that I was in the gym, and saw you and the others throwing. It was my dream that it would happen in India and now finally it is here. So thank you,' Neeraj said looking towards Rohler and Yego. In a new role as the face of the World Athletics Category A event, Neeraj has knuckled down and got to work ensuring that everything is in the best order. That includes worrying about the spice in the food at the official team hotel, another example of him being a good host. 'I was telling them about the food, I was thinking of you guys hoping it is not too spicy,' Neeraj said. For the benefit of Rohler and Yego, he kept translating into English after answering questions in Hindi. Neeraj, his sponsors and backers, have shelled out money for appearance fees, travel and accommodation for some of the top javelin throwers in the world, a ball-park figure of Rs 4 crore is being talked about as the entire cost of hosting the NC Classic. Till early last week, they were still some way from breaking even with major sponsors on board. But the inaugural edition of the NC Classic is not about the bottomline. When asked about the funding and business model, Neeraj sounded like a parent conducting the first wedding in a family. Burning a small hole in the pocket didn't matter at this stage. 'If I talk about the business side, for me right now the only aim is to make this event a success. That is my focus. That the NC Classic is happening, that in itself is a big thing. Rest of the things don't matter now. I want to promote the sport,' he said. The current world champion has had a lot on his plate. He's been in Bengaluru for a week, going the extra mile to ensure a glitch-free event. Being on the other side, he's already spoken about having 'new-found respect for people who put an event together'. 'One of the toughest parts was to think and plan about such a big event and then also having to compete in it. The mind of an athlete is a bit slow. For me, so far it has been about just competing,' Neeraj said. He also spoke like a serious sports administrator with a long-term vision for the growth of the sport. 'As we see, there are so many international competitions in Germany and other nations almost every week. So, this is what I want in India, as there should be at least four-five competitions which are world-class. The athletes should get a chance and people should see them play. That will be very good for our sport,' the Tokyo Olympics gold medallist said. Sachin Yadav, 25, sitting beside Neeraj and sharing the dais with Rohler and Yego, is one of the five Indian athletes in the fray. There's been talk of Sachin, an Asian Championship silver medallist, being the one to carry Neeraj's legacy forward. Sachin, a man of few words, said he was looking forward to sharing the field with some of the greats. He remembers the day Neeraj got in touch with him. 'I couldn't believe that I got a message from Neeraj bhai. Thanks so much to Neeraj bhai for inviting me to this competition. I am very happy to be here. There are throwers from all over the world, some of the best. I can compete with everyone and that too in India,' Sachin said. Rohler, the 2016 Olympic gold medallist, said the inaugural NC Classic was a step forward for the sport in India. 'Neeraj being on the top of the world in the sport… this is like the logical step to bring the sport to the people, not only on TV but in person,' Rohler said. The German, however, said quality coaches are key to tap the potential of the next generation. 'There are talented athletes, but who will coach them? So I am looking forward to seeing the whole development of the sport to make it something sustainable and not just a small trend,' he said. Yego, who like Neeraj in India, was the javelin trend-setter in Kenya, a country famous for its long-distance runners. The emergence of world-class throwers from outside the traditional powerhouse countries has warmed his heart, Yego said. 'Who would have thought that India would have a competition featuring only javelin. So we might see next year, or years to come, more countries deciding to host javelin competitions. This is a good initiative and coming from one of our friends, Chopra. So the sport is growing,' Yego said. Back in the official hotel, there were fans waiting to click selfies with Neeraj. He had a final training session in the evening, followed by a pre-event dinner for the athletes, officials and guests. On the eve of the big day, Neeraj had a hundred things on his mind. He was hard-pressed for time but seemed to have things under control. Like he does, more often than not, once a competition begins.
News18
34 minutes ago
- News18
Durand Cup 2025: Participating Teams, Groups And Full Fixtures
Last Updated: The 134th Durand Cup, Asia's oldest football tournament, hosted across five states including Manipur, Assam, Jharkhand, and Meghalaya, as well as Kolkata. Durand Cup, Asia's oldest football tournament, is back with its 134th Edition. For the first time, the Durand Cup is being hosted in as many as five states, with Manipur's capital, Imphal, making a comeback after a two-year gap. Kokrajhar in Assam will extend their status as Durand Cup hosts for the third consecutive year while Jamshedpur in Jharkhand and Shillong in Meghalaya were added as hosts last year. The century-old tournament shifted its home base to Kolkata – the Mecca of Indian Football, and the capital of West Bengal, from Delhi back in 2019, and, will also continue to hold that status for a sixth consecutive edition. Durand Cup 2025: Teams & Groups – Group A East Bengal FC South United FC Indian Air Force FT Namdhari FC Group B Mohun Bagan SG Mohammedan SC Diamond Harbour FC BSF FT Group D Group E Group F Durand Cup 2025: Group Stage Fixtures – 6 28-Jul Monday B Mohammedan SC vs Diamond Harbour FC 19:00 Kolkata Kishore Bharati Stadium 7 29-Jul Tuesday C Jamshedpur FC vs Indian Army FT 16:00 Jamshedpur JRD Tata Sports Complex 8 29-Jul Tuesday E Shillong Lajong FC vs Rangdajied United FC 19:00 Shillong Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium 9 30-Jul Wednesday F TRAU FC vs NEROCA FC 16:00 Imphal Khuman Lampak Main Stadium 13 1-Aug Friday F Indian Navy FT vs Real Kashmir FC 16:00 Imphal Khuman Lampak Main Stadium 14 1-Aug Friday B Diamond Harbour FC vs BSF FT 19:00 Kolkata VYBK (Salt lake) 15 2-Aug Saturday C Foreign Team 1 vs 1 Ladakh FC 16:00 Jamshedpur JRD Tata Sports Complex 16 2-Aug Saturday E Northeast United FC vs Foreign Team 2 19:00 Shillong Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium 17 3-Aug Sunday D Karbi Anglong Morning Star FC vs Punjab FC 16:00 Kokrajhar SAI Stadium 18 3-Aug Sunday A Namdhari FC vs Indian Air Force FT 19:00 Kolkata Kishore Bharati Stadium 19 4-Aug Monday F TRAU FC vs Real Kashmir FC 16:00 Imphal Khuman Lampak Main Stadium 20 4-Aug Monday B Mohun Bagan SG vs BSF FT 19:00 Kolkata VYBK(Salt Lake) 21 5-Aug Tuesday E Rangdajied United FC vs Foreign Team 2 16:00 Shillong Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium 22 5-Aug Tuesday C Indian Army FT vs Foreign Team 1 19:00 Jamshedpur JRD Tata Sports Complex 23 6-Aug Wednesday D ITBP FT vs Punjab FC 16:00 Kokrajhar SAI Stadium 24 6-Aug Wednesday A East Bengal FC vs Indian Air Force FT 19:00 Kolkata Kishore Bharati Stadium 25 7-Aug Thursday B BSF FT vs Mohammedan SC 16:00 Kolkata VYBK(Salt Lake) 26 7-Aug Thursday F NEROCA FC vs Indian Navy FT 19:00 Imphal Khuman Lampak Main Stadium 27 8-Aug Friday C Jamshedpur FC vs 1 Ladakh FC 16:00 Jamshedpur JRD Tata Sports Complex 28 8-Aug Friday E Shillong Lajong FC vs Northeast United FC 19:00 Shillong Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium 29 9-Aug Saturday D Bodoland FC vs Punjab FC 16:00 Kokrajhar SAI Stadium 30 9-Aug Saturday B Diamond Harbour FC vs Mohun Bagan SG 19:00 Kolkata Kishore Bharati Stadium 31 10-Aug Sunday F NEROCA FC vs Real Kashmir FC 16:00 Imphal Khuman Lampak Main Stadium 32 10-Aug Sunday A East Bengal FC vs Namdhari FC 19:00 Kolkata VYBK (Salt Lake) 33 11-Aug Monday C Indian Army FT vs 1 Ladakh FC 16:00 Jamshedpur JRD Tata Sports Complex 34 11-Aug Monday E Northeast United FC vs Rangdajied United FC 19:00 Shillong Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium 35 12-Aug Tuesday F TRAU FC vs Indian Navy FT 16:00 Imphal Khuman Lampak Main Stadium 36 12-Aug Tuesday D Bodoland FC vs ITBP FT 19:00 Kokrajhar SAI Stadium Durand Cup 2025: Knock Out Fixtures – Quarters: Quarter-final 1 – 16 August (Saturday) – Kokrajhar – SAI Stadium Quarter-final 2 – 16 August (Saturday)- Shillong – Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium Quarter-final 3 – 17 August (Sunday) – Jamshedpur – JRD Tata Sports Complex Quarter-final 4 – 17 August (Sunday) – Kolkata – VYBK (Salt Lake) Semis: Semi-final 1 – 19 August (Tuesday) – Shillong – Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium Semi-final 2 – 20 August (Wednesday) – Kolkata – VYBK (Salt Lake) Final: top videos View all Final – 23 August (Saturday) – Kolkata – VYBK (Salt Lake) Note: Teams, Groups and Fixtures may change. About the Author Ritayan Basu Ritayan Basu, Senior Sub-Editor, Sports at Has been covering domestic and and international football for nearly a decade. Has played and covered badminton. Ocassionally writes on cricket content, More News18 Sports brings you the latest updates, live commentary, and highlights from cricket, football, tennis, badmintion, wwe and more. Catch breaking news, live scores, and in-depth coverage. Also Download the News18 App to stay updated! tags : durand cup indian football Location : Kolkata, India, India First Published: July 04, 2025, 20:49 IST News sports » football Durand Cup 2025: Participating Teams, Groups And Full Fixtures
Mint
35 minutes ago
- Mint
Shubman Gill hit on forehead in IND vs ENG 2nd Test, Rishabh Pant's brotherly love wins hearts
Shubman Gill got an injury scare after the Indian captain was hit on the forehead on Day 2 of the ongoing second Test against England at Edgbaston in Birmingham. Gill, who scored his maiden double hundred in Tests the previous day, looked in pain and was immediately attended by the BCCI medical team on the ground. The incident occurred after lunch in an over bowled by Ravindra Jadeja with Harry Brook batting. The England batter drove powerfully with the ball racing to Gill at the first slip at a rapid pace. The Indian captain got a very little time to react. In the process, the ball missed Gill's hand and hit on his forehead. The 25-year-old looked in immense pain. Vice-captain Rishabh Pant, who was standing just beside him, was the first to check on his captain and asked the physio to enter the field for treatment. Gill was treated on the field immediately and resumed fielding shortly after. As far as the match is concerned, Harry Brook and Jamie Smith hit respective centuries to revive England after the hosts were five wickets down with just 84 runs on board. Having started the day at 77/3, England lost Joe Root and captain Ben Stokes of successive deliveries. However, it was the unbeaten 271-run stand for the sixth wicket between Smith and Brook that resurrected the English innings. At Tea, England were 355/5. Smith was at 157 not out and Brook unbeaten on 140. When Smith came in, England were over 500 runs behind.
