Indian javelin superstar Neeraj Chopra on Saturday emerged victorious at the inaugural edition of the six-round Neeraj Chopra Classic, with a third-round throw measuring a whopping 86.18m.
This is the 27-year-old's third consecutive title, following wins at the Paris Diamond League on June 20, and at the Golden Spike in Ostrava, Poland on June 24, with his parents seated amidst a jubilant home crowd.
Kenya's 2025 world champion Julius Yego came second with a throw measuring 84.51m, while former Sri Lankan under-16 fast bowler Rumesh Pathirage was placed at a close third, with a distance of 84.34m.
Pathirage also narrowly overtook India's Sachin Yadav, who finished fourth with his best throw measuring 82.33m.
The javelin event at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru featured a world-class field of 12 javelin throwers—seven top international throwers and five Indian athletes (including Neeraj Chopra).
Organised in collaboration with JSW Sports to realise his dreams of hosting and competing in a world-class event, Chopra's event was given the green light by the Athletics Federation of India (AFI).
The event was also given a 'gold status' by World Athletics.
Chopra's decisive victory also comes after he successfully breached the 90-metre-barrier in May this year.
“It was mentally tough for me because I know everyone had their eyeballs on me. My entire family is here, so I was nervous about that too," the javelin maestro explained, as per an NDTV report.
Strong winds at Bengaluru—which were blowing almost head-on—had significantly increased the difficulty for all the competitors at the inaugural edition of the NC Classic.
With his coach—Czech-origin Olympic and World javelin legend Jan Železný—standing by his side, Chopra's first attempt was a foul, but he soon took the lead with a second attempt measuring 82.99m.
Pathirage, who was second after the second round, bested Chopra at his third attempt that reached 84.34m, which invited a big roar from the crowd. However, Chopra, who threw next, would not be intimidated, cementing his lead with the winning throw of 86.18m, as the crowd erupted in joy for the prolific Haryanvi player.
After the first three throws, those in the bottom four were eliminated. Kenya's Yego overtook Pathirage to clinch his second place with a fourthround effort of 84.51, following which Chopra fouled his fourth attempt as well.
Despite Chopra's subsequent throws declining from 84.07m in the fifth round to 82.22m in the last one, he managed to keep his lead after Yego and Pathirage failed to overcome it.
