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India Today
06-07-2025
- Sport
- India Today
Gold for all-rounder Neeraj Chopra as Bengaluru enjoys and elevates javelin party
"Fifteen thousand people for only javelin is unique. To be honest, I have never seen something like this," Rio Olympic gold medallist Thomas Rhler told still soaking in the atmosphere at Bengaluru's Sree Kanteerava Stadium."Amazing," added Kenya's Julius Yego. "Before I even threw my best, I was joining the fun with the crowd. I came up with a season best throw. I am going home happy."advertisementTalk about putting a foot wrong. The only misstep Neeraj Chopra made on Saturday came moments after his opening throw, when he briefly lost his footing. Beyond that solitary slip, he was flawless. The occasion was no ordinary meet. This was the Neeraj Chopra Classic, India's first grand international javelin gathering, and its namesake was at once the star attraction and the orchestrator-in-chief, juggling roles with the ease and urgency of a Gen Z multitasker.A dream long in the making had finally unfurled. It was back in 2016, after scripting Olympic history in Tokyo, that Neeraj first envisioned hosting a world-class event on Indian soil. With every overseas competition since - from the quiet training camps in Europe to the floodlit stadia of global championships - he was perfecting his craft. Quietly, he was also taking notes, learning how the best events are staged, not just Neeraj Chopra Classic was a homecoming of ambition and Bengaluru made it a night to remember. A carnival that will be spoken of for years across the world of javelin. The Sree Kanteerava Stadium was packed to the rafters. 14,593 walked through the gates to make the night historic - a staggering turnout for a track-and-field event in India. The passionate Bengaluru crowd, from wide-eyed schoolkids to the seasoned and grey, didn't just come to cheer course, the loudest roars were reserved for him. But this audience made it an experience of a lifetime for every single athlete. When Jan Zelezny, the legendary world record-holder and Neeraj's coach, walked out during warm-ups, he was greeted with a thunderous soaked up the adulation en route to silver. Sri Lanka's Rumesh Tharanga, just 22, danced and smiled his way into a podium finish and into the crowd's a winning throw of 86.18 metres, Neeraj topped a field brimming with Olympic medallists, India's brightest talents, and international see his name on the banner, and a long-held dream brought to life, not just in triumph on the field but in the energy of the stands, must have been a double delight. For a debut edition to soar so high, so soon, was both surreal and see athletics getting this much support is what we wanted. It felt so good," said Neeraj. "This is a reward for the athletes' hard work." Courtesy: JSW Sports Media The most heartening sight? Young athletes in the stands, watching intently, dreaming them were Raanjan Vijayan, an 80m hurdler, and Sanath Shetigar, a middle-distance runner. Both under-16 athletes from Karnataka, the two sat in the stands, wide-eyed and hopeful, imagining a future where the cheers of thousands would ring out for them, too, as they carried India's colours on the global stage. They were not alone. All across the stands, young aspirants watched the action unfold, taking notes, solidifying ambitions, giving flight to dreams. The Neeraj Chopra Classic, in its very first edition, had already become more than a meet. It had become a this be another reminder: it's no longer fair to lament that India is only a cricket-crazy country. When sport is delivered with heart, excellence, and authenticity, Indian fans show up - not just to watch, but to celebrate, and elevate. advertisementAnd celebrate they did. Because the man of the moment was, unmistakably, India's golden PRESSURE OF HOSTING"There was pressure, a different kind of pressure," Neeraj told after the carnival-like evening."I wasn't just thinking like an athlete - I was worrying about how things were being organised. Even the smallest delay had me fretting.""But eventually, everything went well. The crowd was fantastic. The athletes were enjoying the atmosphere. And I won too. It felt so good," he added. Noticed that? His victory came as a footnote - a throwaway line amid a reflection on logistics, hospitality, and the athlete experience. That's the kind of host Neeraj wanted to action over the past week told the same story. Fresh off a demanding June, where he competed in Paris and Ostrava, Neeraj arrived early in Bengaluru. He met with stakeholders from Karnataka government, spent time with sponsors, fulfilled commercial obligations and somehow carved out time to train. The schedule didn't revolve around him. He revolved around the BEFORE COMPETITOR Neeraj Chopra won gold in Neeraj Chopra Classic! (PTI Photo) On Saturday, half an hour before warm-ups officially began, Neeraj the organiser was already out on the field. He walked the grounds, speaking with volunteers, scanning every inch of the setup. A short jog, part warm-up and part inspection, gave him a feel for the field. It was clear: he had a mental checklist to tick off before he allowed himself to become the then, that switch never fully flipped. While Neeraj the athlete took centre stage, the organiser in him remained quietly alert. His eyes weren't just on the scoreboard - they were on the event as a whole, and on the 11 other athletes he'd invited to share it with one point, he noticed a glitch in the mini-car ferrying the javelins back to the runway after each throw."Only small things concerned me," he said. "For instance, the car bringing the javelins back was a little slow. As athletes, we want them returned quickly to stay in rhythm. I even thought - maybe we should just run and get them ourselves!"advertisementThat's a champion's mindset too, tuned to precision, attentive to the smallest details, and unwilling to let anything disrupt the pursuit of Neeraj didn't stop the post-event press conference, he switched roles once more - this time, playing reporter. Grabbing the mic, he turned to silver medallist Julius Yego with a question that reflected both humility and genuine curiosity."Was everything okay for you?" he asked. "You're one of the most senior athletes, you've travelled the world. Could you share a piece of advice?"Yego grinned. "What should I say? Everything was nice."Neeraj, the all-rounder - athlete, host, organiser, and now interviewer - was a revelation. So was the Neeraj Chopra Classic.- EndsTrending Reel
India Today
05-07-2025
- Sport
- India Today
NC Classic: How rare is a 90m throw and can Neeraj Chopra do it at home?
When the host of Friday's press conference for the Neeraj Chopra Classic addressed the large media contingent in Bengaluru, he made a cheeky remark: 'At last, there will be no questions about 90m to Neeraj, I believe.' It was a reference to Neeraj finally getting the monkey off his back earlier this year, recording his first-ever 90m throw at the Doha Diamond League: a magical 90.23m, ending one of the longest-running chases in world even if no one said it out loud, at least a few in the room were surely thinking: 'Neeraj, will we see another 90m - this time, at home?' The press conference largely focused on the significance of the Neeraj Chopra Classic, India's first-ever top-tier international javelin event, organised by the Olympic and world champion himself. Neeraj was joined on the dais by fellow Olympic medallists Thomas Rhler and Julius Yego, along with young Sachin Yadav, touted as the next big hope in Indian NC Classic is already shaping up to be a landmark event - not just for Indian athletics, but for the global javelin community. It signals a shift from a Europe-centric tradition to a broader international expansion. 'I feel like I'm in a dream,' Neeraj said, reflecting on the occasion's significance. The mood in the room echoed that sentiment. Rhler, the 2016 Olympic champion from Germany, spoke passionately about the responsibility senior athletes have to give back and help discover new talent in emerging countries. Yego, the 2015 world champion, said he didn't hesitate to accept Neeraj's invitation, highlighting the similarities between their journeys: his rise in long-distance obsessed Kenya, and Neeraj's emergence from cricket-mad India, both breaking the mould in their respective for Sachin, one of four young Indians in the 12-man field, the atmosphere was surreal. Sharing the stage with three Olympic medallists, he looked both star-struck and excited about the opportunity to compete in a meet that is expected to become an annual fixture on the World Athletics now finds himself wearing a new hat - that of an organiser. It's been a hectic week for him, filled with meetings with political leaders, sponsors and sports administrators, all geared towards making the Neeraj Chopra Classic a success story and a long-standing SPECIAL IN BENGALURU?But while the athlete in him has been juggling duties, he remains serious about his own competition on Saturday. The Bengaluru meet at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium will be his sixth of the year in what has already been a packed 2025 season. In June alone, Neeraj featured in two events, with everything building towards the World Championships in Tokyo this athlete in me is always up for the competition," he said. "That's why I'm trying to manage everything. My team is also handling a lot, but I'm training hard. After doing everything, I train. I did throw sessions too - so yes, I've got the mindset for this competition."Even on Friday evening, Neeraj made time for a long session at the venue after his media duties were done. Under the watchful eye of legendary coach Jan elezn, he sent the javelin soaring into the dusky Bengaluru the big question again: Can Neeraj throw 90 metres?Given his busy schedule and reduced training time in the lead-up to the NC Classic, it may not happen in Bengaluru — but make no mistake, he'll be going all to Julius Yego suggested that Bengaluru's weather — mild and breezy — could actually be conducive to big it's worth reiterating that the 90m question, while enticing, can be problematic. The pressure to hit that mark — and then to repeat it — is since Neeraj stunned the world with an 86.48m throw as a teenager at the U20 World Championships in 2016, that 90m question has followed him. The noise only grew louder when Pakistan's Arshad Nadeem hurled 92.97m in the Paris Olympics final, setting a new Olympic record. Neeraj gave it everything that day and still walked away with 89.45m and silver. He finally breached the mark in May this a 90m throw is a rarity — it's like a triple hundred in cricket.'Any 90m throw has a huge impact on the body. Once you have thrown 90m, the next thing you have to do is rest because the impact is very high,' Thomas Rohler, the owner of seven-plus 90m throws said on Friday.'Those watching need to understand that we have one ton of weight impact on the block foot, which is the weight of a small car. This is javelin throw. This is not yoga. It's really tough. Neeraj Chopra trains in Bengaluru. (Courtesy: PTI) advertisement'This is the impact and we have to train for impact and technique. Doing it again and again is a mental challenge and it's about dealing with the pressure from the outside. And as soon as you have thrown 90m, we all mess up with expectations.'Look at 2012, the Olympic gold was won by throwing 84m. Now people expect you to throw 90m. If you don't, people ask you 'was it a bad day?'. We need to see the percentage of people who throw over 90m: it's very small.'HOW RARE IS A 90M THROW?Statistically, 90m throws are exceptional. According to World Athletics data, among the top 8001 men's javelin distances since the 1986 redesign, only 129 have gone beyond 90m — that's just 1.61%.Total throws recorded: 8001Throws over 90m: 129Percentage: 1.61%elezn's 90m+ throws: 34 (all-time leader)Rhler's 90m+ throws: 7Neeraj's 90m+ throws: 1 (Doha, 2025)It brings us to a key piece of history. In 1984, East Germany's Uwe Hohn threw an absurd 104.86m — a mark that created panic in the sport. Two years later, in April 1986, the men's javelin was redesigned to bring distances down. The centre of gravity was shifted forward by 4cm, the tip was made blunter, and the tail section was adjusted to increase drag. These changes reduced throws by roughly 10% on average and brought the sport back under control. Jan elezn's 98.48m in 1996 remains the world record with the redesigned main reason the Technical Committee decided to change the rules for javelin construction was because of the increasingly frequent flat landings and the resulting discussions and protests because of attempts declared valid or invalid by competition judges,' according to World called them 'magical' for a reason. 'We should appreciate every one of those moments. There are very few chances in life to achieve it or to witness it,' he to today. Neeraj's best on Indian soil is 88.07m, achieved in Patiala in 2021. Can he go further in Bengaluru?With the Bengaluru crowd behind him and the energy of a meet built in his name, there's every reason to hope. Could the home crowd egg Neeraj on to double his count of the 90m biggie?If he does, if the Sree Kanteerava crowd witnesses a 90m throw on Saturday, it will be a moment for the ages. A perfect cherry on top of an already historic occasion.- EndsMust Watch
