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India.com
10 hours ago
- Sport
- India.com
Neeraj Chopra gives special gift to a fan for upcoming NC Classic Event, Indian Javelin star offers...
Neeraj Chopra. (PIC - X) New Delhi: Indian javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra on Friday showed a big heart and decided to bear the entire travel expenses of a fan. In fact, a fan had expressed his desire to watch the first NC Classic tournament on social media on Wednesday and requested Rs 2000. In response, Golden Boy Neeraj Chopra himself promised to bear the entire cost of his trip to Bengaluru. Two-time Olympic medalist Chopra promised to give the fan a complete VVIP experience, which also includes accommodation in Bengaluru for the competition to be held on July 5. Neeraj Chopra gives a special gift Javelin enthusiast Ranjit Kumar Ravichandran from Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, tweeted on social media that he wanted to watch this tournament in the name of Neeraj Chopra in India. He wrote, 'If anyone sponsor me 2000 rupees, I can go to watch this from Coimbatore,' X user Ranjith (@iam_rrt) had posted on Wednesday, quoting a post by the event's official account. Chopra replied, '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!' he wrote in response. 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! 😉 — Neeraj Chopra (@Neeraj_chopra1) June 27, 2025 The tournament was postponed due to India-Pakistan tensions The tournament was scheduled to be held on May 24 but was postponed due to India-Pakistan tension. Chopra and JSW Sports are jointly organising it and it has been recognised by the Athletics Federation of India. Seven top international javelin throwers and five Indian players will participate in it.
Time of India
12 hours ago
- Sport
- Time of India
AFI plans robust monitoring system to prepare Indian athletes for 2026 international events
Nagpur: The Athletics Federation of India (AFI) established a comprehensive monitoring system to enhance the performance of the Indian track and field team for the 2026 Commonwealth and Asian Games. The 2026 Commonwealth Games are scheduled to take place from July 23 to August 2 in Glasgow, while the Asian Games will be held from September 19 to October 4 in Japan. Eleven months following the decentralisation of national coaching camps after the 2024 Paris Olympic Games held in France from July 26 to August 11, the results were promising at the Gumi Asian Athletics Championships in South Korea, held from May 27 to 31, and in domestic competitions, according to AFI spokesperson Adille Sumariwalla. During a one-day meeting in New Delhi on Friday with all stakeholders, including govt and private entities, Sumariwalla addressed the successful decentralisation training model. He noted initial concerns regarding doping and declining performance as top athletes trained at various centres across the country post-decentralisation. "But both issues were successfully tackled due to a good monitoring system," Sumariwalla, vice president of World Athletics, said. He added, "The national team finished second with 24 medals, eight of them gold, behind China in the medal tally at the continental meet. Several national records were also improved in Gumi, which augurs well for the future." To achieve significant impact in continental and global track and field events, Sumariwalla urged all stakeholders to collaborate. "There is a large pool of over 1,000 athletes, including elite training across various centres. All stakeholders, including departments and private entities, should work in tandem for the holistic development of track and field in the country," he emphasized. Sumariwalla also called on stakeholders to adhere strictly to AFI guidelines on the annual competition calendar to provide more opportunities for promising athletes. "Domestic competition has become more competitive. AFI has also introduced regional competitions. Private institutions and govt departments should encourage athletes to compete on home ground rather than send them abroad to participate in low-key events," he added. Addressing the issue of doping, Sumariwalla urged all stakeholders to take strict action against offenders. "AFI has a no needle policy and zero tolerance towards doping. Accountability of officials and coaches at the district and state levels whose athletes test positive for performance-enhancing drugs should be enforced. Strict punishment will act as a deterrent."
NDTV
13 hours ago
- Sport
- NDTV
Athletics Federation Of India Conceptualising Robust Monitoring System To Enhance Performance
With the Asian and Commonwealth Games lined up next year, the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) is planning to implement a "robust monitoring system" to enhance the performance of its athletes and increase the number of medals. Indian track and field athletes have traditionally done well at the Asian Games and the AFI wants to take that success a few notches higher at the 2026 continental showpiece in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan and also improve the tally in the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. AFI has been encouraged by the fact that nearly 11 months after the decentralisation of the national coaching camps post the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, the overall results showed marked improvement at the Asian Championships in South Korea last month and the domestic competitions. AFI spokesperson Adille Sumariwalla said there were fears that the decentralised training model could be counterproductive, but, on the contrary, there have been a lot of positives. "There was apprehension of doping and not-so-encouraging performance as top athletes were training across the country at different centres after decentralisation. But both the issues were successfully tackled due to a good monitoring system," said Sumariwalla, World Athletics vice-president, during a meeting with government and private entities on the successful decentralisation training model, on Friday. "The national team finished second with 24 medals, eight of them gold behind China in the medal tally in the continental meet. Several national records were also improved in Gumi (Asian Championships), which augurs well for the future," he added. He urged the stakeholders to work together for the common good of athletics. "There is a big pool of over 1,000 athletes, including elite training across various centres. All the stakeholders, including departments and private entities, should work in tandem for holistic development of track and field in the country." He asked the stakeholders to strictly follow AFI guidelines on annual competition calendar to give more opportunities to promising athletes. "Domestic competition has become more competitive. AFI has also introduced regional competitions. Private institutions and government departments should encourage athletes to compete on home ground rather than send athletes abroad to compete in low key events," he added. On the doping menace, Sumariwalla urged the stakeholders to stay vigilant. "AFI has no needle policy and zero tolerance to doping. But accountability of the officials/coaches at the district/state level whose athletes test positive for performance enhancing drugs should be fixed. Strict punishment will act as a deterrent," he added. (Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Indian Express
15 hours ago
- Sport
- Indian Express
AFI's priority list: Increased scrutiny on athletes competing overseas, food supplements
The Athletics Federation of India (AFI) has advised private players, who manage athletes in the new decentralised training model, to refrain from sending them to low-key overseas competitions. Nearly a year after the decentralisation of the national coaching camps, post 2024 Paris Olympic Games, the AFI said there was significant increase in meet records, a jump in the number of athletes who qualified for the Asian Championships and a spike in the medal count at the continental event. However, there have been teething problems as the training centres increased from three to 18, including those run by JSW, Reliance, Army, Navy, Airforce, state governments and the six National Centre of Excellence. 'The decentralised training model has worked but there are things we have to improve. It is difficult to manage athletes in the decentralised system. We have put restrictions on sending the athletes abroad for training as well as competitions. It has become a fashion for coaches to go aboard and they take athletes also. We should sit and discuss if an athlete should go abroad or not. There are foreign coaches who feel it is too hot in the Indian summer and they want to go abroad. So they plan a trip to Europe. We have to be very careful,' AFI's planning commission chairman Lalith Bhanot said. He was speaking at a one-day meeting in New Delhi with all stakeholders, including government and private entities, on the decentralisation training model. Top athletes like javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra and 100 metre hurdler Jyothi Yarraji competing overseas are justified because they don't have quality competitors in the country, but others should not rush to compete abroad just for the sake of it, Bhanot said. 'There are some athletes who are outstanding, they need to train abroad, like in the case of Neeraj. I can understand if Jyothi is going abroad because there is no competition here. But I don't understand why our javelin throwers have to go abroad when there are 10 competitions here and there are 10 athletes crossing 80 metres. In 400 metres, if an athlete is participating in a race where the timings (of competitors) are below 45 (seconds) I can understand. But if they have to participate in a race where the athletes are running 47-plus, why should they go. What is the purpose of sending an athlete for a competition which is of very low standard,' Bhanot said. The AFI planning commission chairman also gave the example of Sachin Yadav, the Asian Championships silver medalist. 'There are agents who fixed two competitions for him in Finland. Proposal went to the TOPS that he will travel to Finland. How can TOPS say no when he has thrown 85 metres. I told him, you train here, there is no need to go anywhere. The agent started calling me. The agent will get money if he participates. He is a new boy, he has no pressure at all. I have seen him throw 90 metres in training. Moreover, the coaches are also interested in going abroad,' Bhanot added. The AFI is also keeping a close watch on the dependence on supplements by athletes and has also told the Sports Authority of India that most junior athletes do not need supplements. When it comes to senior athletes, the AFI plans to short-list genuine suppliers and only provide supplements to the top senior athletes. 'Most of the food supplements we get now are less about supplements and more about doping risk,' Bhanot said. He also said that there were coaches who sold supplements meant for athletes in the open market. An Army coach at the National Institute of Sports in Patiala was fired after he was caught selling supplements. 'There is a coach who took food supplements in a tempo and sold it. There were so many food supplements boxes in his room in NIS Patiala that he didn't have a place to sleep. It is a wrong concept that all athletes need supplements. We have told SAI that juniors do not need food supplements. It is a fashion that has come in from the gyms,' Bhanot said. AFI president Adille Sumariwalla said that most supplements get contaminated when they are imported and then repacked in India. 'In India, when it is repacked they add anabolic steroids so more people will buy it. It is a complex issue.'
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Business Standard
15 hours ago
- Sport
- Business Standard
Neeraj Chopra turns fan's wish into a VVIP trip for NC Classic event
In a heartwarming gesture, Olympic gold medallist Neeraj Chopra has sponsored a fan's all-expenses-paid trip to Bengaluru to attend the Neeraj Chopra Classic on July 5 — India's first global javelin competition. An X user, Ranjith from Coimbatore, reposted a video of the NC Classic event that is going to be held in Bengaluru's Sree Kanteerava Stadium, saying: "If anyone sponsors me ₹2,000, I can go to watch this from Coimbatore." On Friday, Chopra reposted his post, saying that he will sponsor Ranjith's trip to Bengaluru for the event. "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 Radisson Hotels, you'll be staying about 90 metres away from me. See you soon!" Chopra said, in a post on X. The post has garnered a lot of attention and appreciation online. What is Neeraj Chopra Classic? Neeraj Chopra Classic is India's flagship international javelin competition, announced earlier this year by the Olympic gold medallist. It was earlier scheduled for May 24, but was postponed amid the conflict and tensions between India and Pakistan after the Pahalgam attack. Spearheaded by Chopra and held in collaboration with JSW Sports, the event has received official recognition from the Athletics Federation of India (AFI). As a World Athletics Gold Label competition, the event will see participation from leading javelin throwers across the globe, making it a first for India. Chopra had also invited Pakistan's Olympic gold medallist Arshad Nadeem for the event; however, he later opted out. After the Pahalgam attack, Chopra also said: "After all that has taken place over the last 48 hours, Arshad's presence at the NC Classic was completely out of the question. My country and its interests will always come first."
