In a historic first, India’s inaugural international Javelin tournament, Neeraj Chopra Classic 2025, is scheduled to take place at Sree Kanteerava Stadium in Bangalore on Saturday (July 5).
An event sanctioned by the Athletics Federation of India, the tournament is being organised by two-time Olympic medallist Neeraj Chopra in collaboration with JSW Sports, marking the beginning of a new era of Indian athletics, particularly in the domain of the Javelin throw.
Boasting the prestigious World Athletics Gold level status, the tournament will not only feature top talent from across the world but also provide a platform for emerging Indian athletes to make their mark on the international stage.
Who are the participants?
The 12 athletes set to participate in the event have been listed as follows:
Neeraj Chopra (India): One of India’s only two-time Olympic medallists, Neeraj Chopra most recently entered the elite 90-meter club with his personal best throw of 90.23m, which was followed by his victory at the Paris Diamond League.
Curtis Thompson (USA): A high-ranked American javelin thrower, Thompson is hailed as one of the most consistent performers in the Diamond League circuit with a personal best of 87.76m
Martin Konecny (Czechia): One of the Czech Republic’s most consistent and remarkable Javelin throwers, 27-year-old Martin, who has established himself as one of the most seasoned international athletes in the sport, holds a personal best record being 80.59 meters
Julius Yego (Kenya): 2016 Olympic silver medallist and 2015 World champion, Yego is widely hailed as the African Javelin throw legend, who holds a personal best record of 92.72m.
Cyprian Mrzyglod (Poland): The Polish athlete, a former European Under 23 champion, recently administered his personal best record of 85.92 metres at a meet in Kuortane this year.
Luiz Mauricio da Silva (Brazil): A seasoned athlete, widely renowned for his consistent podium finishes at the South American Athletics Championships across various age categories, holds a personal best record of 86.62m.
Rumesh Pathirage (Sri Lanka): A promising youngster, Pathirage recently broke the Sri Lankan national record and claimed gold at the Asian Throwing Championships last year. His personal best is 85.45m.
Thomas Roehler (Germany): 2016 Olympic champion who is widely regarded as one of the sport’s all-time greats, boasts a sensational personal best best is 93.90m.
Sachin Yadav (India): The Asian Championships silver medallist, who most recently won gold at the National Games this year, holds an impressive personal best of 85.16m.
Sahil Silwal (India): Another promising youngster, Sahil holds a personal best of 81.81m from his gold-winning performance at last year’s National Inter-State Championships. The 24-year-old also won the gold medal at the Winckelmann Games athletics 2024 meet in Germany.
Rohit Yadav (India): Another emerging Indian athlete, the 24-year-old secured a silver medal at the National Games 2025 with 80.47m. Rohild holds a personal best record throw of 83.40m.
Yashvir Singh (India): The athlete who first entered the spotlight for breaking Neeraj Chopra’s U-20 Fed Cup meet record in 2021 with a 78.68m throw is also set to compete in the upcoming tournament.
When does the event start?
The event is scheduled to begin at 6:30 PM IST.
How to watch?
Fans in India can catch the tournament live across multiple platforms, including the Star Sports network and JioHotstar, an OTT platform.