India’s golden boy of javelin, Neeraj Chopra continued his strong form on Saturday by winning the first-ever Neeraj Chopra Classic 2025 at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru. He threw 86.18 metres to take the gold medal in this World Athletics gold-level event.
Kenya’s Julius Yego came second with his season-best of 84.51 metres, while Sri Lanka’s Rumesh Pathirage finished third with 84.34 metres.
The 27-year-old Olympic and World Champion from Khandra village in Haryana fulfilled a lifelong dream of hosting a world-class competition on Indian soil. Speaking through his actions, Neeraj gave fans the rare opportunity to watch him and other international stars live in action.
The stadium, though not fully packed, roared with energy. Despite cool, windy weather and cloudy skies, fans made plenty of noise, cheering for Neeraj with every throw.
Cheered on by a crowd of 14,593, Chopra began with a foul throw but quickly took the lead with his second attempt of 82.99 metres. He thrilled fans with his third throw, which measured 86.18 metres, the best of the night.
His fourth attempt was a foul, followed by an 84.07m in the fifth and 82.22m in his final throw.
After the event, Chopra shared his feelings with the crowd. “Thank you, Bengaluru, for coming tonight. There was a headwind for us today, so the marks weren't that big. But this was such a different experience for me, I had to do so many different things apart from competing. We will try to add more events. I am so happy tonight, my family is here too. Was a little nervous, not happy with the result too much, but happy. Thank you so much.”
Season Highlights So Far
Chopra began his 2025 season by winning the Potch Invitational Meet in South Africa. He then finished second at the Doha Diamond League, where he broke the 90m barrier for the first time with a 90.23m throw, a new Indian national record.
He also secured second place at the Janusz Kusocinski Memorial in Poland, won the Paris Diamond League last week, and took the top spot at the Ostrava Golden Spike 2025 with an 88.16m throw.
Neeraj Chopra Classic 2025
Originally planned for Panchkula, the event had to be moved to Bengaluru due to poor lighting at the initial venue, which would have affected live broadcasts.
Also delayed due to a tragic terror attack in Pahalgam, where 26 civilians lost their lives, the Neeraj Chopra Classic finally came to life, carrying both emotional weight and pride.
Inputs from agencies
Kenya’s Julius Yego came second with his season-best of 84.51 metres, while Sri Lanka’s Rumesh Pathirage finished third with 84.34 metres.
The 27-year-old Olympic and World Champion from Khandra village in Haryana fulfilled a lifelong dream of hosting a world-class competition on Indian soil. Speaking through his actions, Neeraj gave fans the rare opportunity to watch him and other international stars live in action.
The stadium, though not fully packed, roared with energy. Despite cool, windy weather and cloudy skies, fans made plenty of noise, cheering for Neeraj with every throw.
Cheered on by a crowd of 14,593, Chopra began with a foul throw but quickly took the lead with his second attempt of 82.99 metres. He thrilled fans with his third throw, which measured 86.18 metres, the best of the night.
His fourth attempt was a foul, followed by an 84.07m in the fifth and 82.22m in his final throw.
After the event, Chopra shared his feelings with the crowd. “Thank you, Bengaluru, for coming tonight. There was a headwind for us today, so the marks weren't that big. But this was such a different experience for me, I had to do so many different things apart from competing. We will try to add more events. I am so happy tonight, my family is here too. Was a little nervous, not happy with the result too much, but happy. Thank you so much.”
Season Highlights So Far
Chopra began his 2025 season by winning the Potch Invitational Meet in South Africa. He then finished second at the Doha Diamond League, where he broke the 90m barrier for the first time with a 90.23m throw, a new Indian national record.
He also secured second place at the Janusz Kusocinski Memorial in Poland, won the Paris Diamond League last week, and took the top spot at the Ostrava Golden Spike 2025 with an 88.16m throw.
Neeraj Chopra Classic 2025
Originally planned for Panchkula, the event had to be moved to Bengaluru due to poor lighting at the initial venue, which would have affected live broadcasts.
Also delayed due to a tragic terror attack in Pahalgam, where 26 civilians lost their lives, the Neeraj Chopra Classic finally came to life, carrying both emotional weight and pride.
Inputs from agencies
You may also like
Liverpool icon Ian Rush could not attend Diogo Jota funeral after own family tragedy
Man Utd have already completed their best business of window after fending off interest
Helmut Marko admits Red Bull fear amid Max Verstappen Mercedes talks
Shubman Gill hits record-breaking ton before England collapse in second Test
Charles Leclerc launches extraordinary X-rated Silverstone rant - 'So f***ing s***'
