Neeraj Chopra Classic aims to ignite Javelin revolution in India

bengaluru: double olympic medallist neeraj chopra is all set to headline the inaugural neeraj chopra classic on saturday at the sree kanteerava stadium, a world athletics 'a' category event — the first of its kind in india — that promises to redefine the future of javelin and track and field in the country.inan emotional press meet on the eve of the event, chopra said the classic marks the beginning of a new chapter in indian athletics. “it feels like a dream. medals are different, but hosting an event like this for indian athletes is something special. this is just the start — i want to see more such international competitions here,” he said.modelled on the mondo classic in sweden hosted by pole vault star armand duplantis, the bengaluru event will feature global javelin icons such as germany's thomas rohler and kenya's julius yego, along with promising indian talents including sachin yadav, rohit yadav, sahil silwal, and yashvir singh.rohler, the 2016 olympic champion, called it a privilege to inspire upcoming throwers. “medals and distances are numbers on paper. leaving a legacy, having an impact — that is what i cherish,” he said.chopra stressed the importance of grassroots development. “i come from a village with no stadium. we need more infrastructure across india so kids can train nearby,” he said, citing europe's sporting landscape as an example.on the technical front, chopra, who recently resumed training under coach jan zelezny, is eyeing improvement ahead of the world championships in tokyo. “my core needs to be stronger. we are working on run-up, blocking leg, and control,” he shared.grateful for growing support, chopra noted that both public and private sponsors — from koa and world athletics to jsw and bpcl — are backing the event.even if bengaluru's turnout falls short, chopra remains optimistic: “all revolutions start with a spark. i hope this one lights a javelin revolution in india.”