Neeraj Chopra Classic postponed amid rising tension between India-Pakistan

The inaugural edition of the Neeraj Chopra Classic competition was scheduled to be held on May 24.

The much-anticipated inaugural edition of the Neeraj Chopra Classic, which was originally scheduled for May 24 in Bengaluru, has been postponed until further notice, organizers announced on May 9 (Friday). This decision comes in light of the increasing cross-border tensions between India and Pakistan raising concerns over the safety and wellbeing of athletes and participants.

The event, which was set to feature elite javelin throwers from across the world, was slated to be India’s first-ever international javelin competition.

Classified as a World Athletics ‘A’ category event, the Neeraj Chopra Classic was expected to offer Continental Tour Gold-level ranking points attracting top athletes including Paris Olympic bronze medalist and two-time world champion Anderson Peters of Grenada, Rio Olympic silver medalist Julius Yego of Kenya and India’s own Neeraj Chopra among others.

In addition to Chopra, prominent Indian athletes such as Kishore Kumar Jena, Rohit Yadav, Sachin Yadav and Sahil Silwal were also set to compete.

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The NC Classic is co-organized by Neeraj Chopra, JSW Sports, the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) and World Athletics (WA). The Karnataka government in collaboration with local entities such as the Karnataka Olympic Association (KOA) and the Department of Youth Empowerment and Sports (DYES) had also worked extensively to bring this prestigious event to Bengaluru.

However, with growing military tensions, the safety of international athletes became a primary concern leading to the postponement. Organizers emphasized that the well-being of the participants was their top priority and the revised schedule for the event will be announced in due course.

The future of the event depends on developments in the coming weeks as organisers continue to monitor the situation.

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