Can NC Classic be the gamechanger Indian athletics needs?

Hindustan Times

2 days ago

Bengaulru: Neeraj Chopra conquered the javelin world with his remarkable performances but the idea of giving back to Indian athletics beyond the pursuit of personal glory took root gradually. That vision was shaped by the lessons and experiences he had gathered on international stage. On the eve of the inaugural Neeraj Chopra Classic, he felt a deep sense of fulfilment. From left: Javelin throwers Julius Yego, Thomas Rohler, Neeraj Chopra and Sachin Yadav ahead of NC Classic in Bengaluru. (PTI)
Few understand better than him the importance of hosting a World Athletics Gold-level meet in India. It holds the potential to be a gamechanger. Indian throwers can compete and learn from the best in the world, fans can witness world-class athletics and a cricket-obsessed nation can discover the thrill of an Olympic sport.
'I never dreamt about it,' said Neeraj. 'I wanted to represent the country and win medals at the international stage. This is bringing a kind of peace in my mind I cannot explain. Winning a medal is different, this is a feeling of giving back to Indian athletics. Somewhere I feel this is a start to uplift the sport in India,' said Neeraj.
NC Classic is India's first top-tier World Athletics competition in track and field and brings home some big names of javelin world: 2016 Olympic champion Thomas Rohler, 2015 world champion Julius Yego, season's third-best USA's Curtis Thompson, Paris Olympian Luiz Mauricio Da Silva, Sri Lanka's rising star Rumesh Pathirage, Polish Cyprian Mrzygold, besides Neeraj.
The other Indians in fray are Sachin Yadav, Sahil Silwal, Rohit Yadav, Yashvir Singh – all of whom have thrown well beyond 80 metres. It will serve as an opportunity for throwers who have not qualified for world championships in Tokyo to breach the mark (85.50m is the standard), or get sufficient ranking points to move up in the ranking ladder for Tokyo.
While India has focused on organising multi-sporting spectacles, smaller level quality international competitions, like top-tier World Athletics events, has not received much attention. This has forced Indian athletes to travel abroad to amass ranking points to qualify for major international competitions. The domestic calendar mostly comprises meets which do not give much return for the athletes in terms of quality competition or ranking points.
Neeraj believes organising such events will help the sport grow in India. That said, apart from javelin, Indian athletes are still to catch up with international standards, especially in major international events.
'If you see a country like Germany, they have so many international competitions of different categories. Every week there is a competition. So, my aim is to see that at least there should be four to five world class competitions in India where international athletes can come. Our athletes can get to watch international stars, compete alongside them and learn. For the Indian throwers competing here, it's a big opportunity. They should interact with international throwers, watch things like how they do their warm up or what they do during the competition,' said Neeraj.
However, any international event comes with its own set of challenges, be it meeting the World Athletics technical standards or facilities. Attracting top international athletes is another hurdle considering that India is not ranked among the top nations. Securing sponsorships, financial backing, and broadcasting rights for any sport other than cricket remain a challenge.
AFI spokesperson Adille Sumariwalla felt India should start from hosting Asian meets. 'See, you need support to host these international meets which the government is now very happy to give. You need infrastructure support, financial support. Before when we were organising meets, we were doing it on our own. Today, the government is fully involved and AFI is looking to get more international events now. You see, the Mumbai Marathon, Delhi Marathon, have grown so big. I feel we are in for some drastic changes in the coming years.'
Germany's 2016 Olympic champion Rohler puts things in perspective. 'Hosting an international event is a logical step after Neeraj's rise, to bring the sport to the people, not just on TV. The next step is the responsibility and challenge to nurture the talents, build infrastructure for them to go forward. I am really looking forward to seeing the pyramid of development in India.'