Grenada’s Anderson Peters, Germany’s Thomas Rohler among top javelin stars unvieled for Neeraj Chopra Classic 2025
NEW DELHI, April 25: Indian javelin throw star Neeraj Chopra on Friday said he has been bombarded with “hate and abuse” for inviting Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem to next month’s NC Classic in Bengaluru, clarifying that the Olympic champion’s presence was “completely out of question” in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack.
The Tokyo Olympics gold-medallist and Paris Games silver-winning star from Haryana said he was deeply hurt to see his and his family’s integrity being questioned in abusive social media posts.
Chopra invited Nadeem, who defeated the Indian in Paris last year to win gold, for the inaugural Neeraj Chopra Classic to be held in Bengaluru on May 24.
“After all that has taken place over the last 48 hours, Arshad’s presence at the NC Classic was completely out of the question. My country and its interests will always come first,” Chopra, who is a Subedar Major in the Indian Army, said in a lengthy post on ‘X’.
“To those that are going through the loss of their people, my thoughts and prayers are with you. Along with the entire nation, I am both hurt and angry at what has taken place,” said Chopra.
“I am confident that our country’s response will show our strength as a nation and justice will be served,” he added.
Nadeem had declined to come citing other commitments.
The 27-year-old Chopra said he is well aware of the chatter surrounding his invitation to Nadeem after the Pahalgam attack in which 26 people, mostly tourists, were gunned down by terrorists.
“…most of it has been hate and abuse. They haven’t even left my family out of it,” said Chopra.
“I usually am a man of few words, but that doesn’t mean I will not speak up against what I think is wrong. More so when it comes to questioning my love for our country, and the respect and honour of my family,” he wrote.
Chopra said invites for NC Classic were sent out on Monday, a day before the Pahalgam terror attack in which 26 people, mostly tourists, were killed.
“The invitation I extended to Arshad was from one athlete to another — nothing more, nothing less. The aim of NC Classic was to bring the best athletes to India and for our country to be the home of world-class sporting events.
“Invites had gone out to all athletes on Monday, two days (sic) before the terrorist attacks at Pahalgam,” he added.
MOTHER TARGETTED
Chopra also highlighted the targetting of his mother, Saroj, for her statement after the Paris Games last year in which she described Nadeem as akin to her son.
“I also find it difficult to understand how people switch opinions. When my mother – in her simplicity – had made an innocent comment a year ago, there was an outpouring of praise for her views.
“Today, the same people haven’t held back from targeting her for that very same statement.” “I, meanwhile, will work even harder to ensure that the world remembers India and looks at it with envy and respect for all the right reasons.” One of India’s most decorated athletes, Chopra said he has represented the country with pride for several years.
“…so it hurts to see my integrity being questioned. It pains me that I have to explain myself to people who are targeting me and my family, with no good reason,” he wrote.
“We are simple people, please don’t make us out to be anything else. There are so many false narratives that certain sections of the media have created around me, but just because I do not speak up, it doesn’t make it true.”
Top-time World Champion Anderson Peters and 2016 Olympics gold medallist Thomas Rohler are among the top stars that will be participating in next month’s Neeraj Chopra Classic 2025 one-day javelin throw meet in Bengaluru.
The full of international participants for the Gold Label event scheduled for May 24 has been revealed.
The event is being jointly organised by India’s two-time Olympic medallist Neeraj Chopra and JSW Sport in association with the Athletics Federation of India and World Athletics. It will be held at the Sri Kanteerva Stadium in Bengaluru.
This year’s edition is the biggest one-day athletics event for a single discipline held in India and will see some of the most decorated names in the global javelin throw converge in India.
The list includes:
Anderson Peters (Grenada): Two-time World Champion (2019, 2022) and reigning Pan American Games gold medallist, known for his explosive throws beyond 90m, a personal best of 93.07m
Thomas Rohler (Germany): 2016 Olympic Champion and one of the sport’s all-time greats, with a personal best of 93.90m
Julius Yego (Kenya): Yego is a World Champion (2015) and Olympic silver medallist (2016), trailblazing javelin’s rise in Africa. His personal best: 92.72m
Curtis Thompson (USA): Top-ranked American javelin thrower, Pan American Games champion (2023), and a consistent performer on the Diamond League circuit with a personal best of 87.76m
Genki Dean (Japan): Asian Games 2023 bronze medallist, Dean brings strong credentials from the Asian circuit, a top-10 world ranking, and a personal best of 84.28m
Luiz Mauricio da Silva (Brazil): A South American powerhouse with multiple podium finishes at the South American Athletics Championships. His personal best: 85.91m
Rumesh Pathirage (Sri Lanka): A rising star from the subcontinent, Pathirage enters the field with a personal best: 85.45m
The Indian contingent — featuring some of the country’s best javelin talents — will be announced soon, the organisers informed on Thursday. (PTI)