Having reclaimed top spot in the javelin throw world rankings, Neeraj Chopra will be back in action at the upcoming inaugural NC Classic, scheduled to be held in Bengaluru on July 5. Neeraj has been in good form lately, and also breached the elusive 90m mark recently.
Ahead of the upcoming NC Classic, Neeraj was interviewed by former cricketer Navjot Singh Sidhu during a segment on Star Sports.
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Known for his outspoken personality and interesting perspectives, Sidhu asked him an interesting question, which revealed that running speed is a key essential in javelin throw. The cricket legend asked him to name a Indian cricketer who could succeed as a javelin thrower.
The Tokyo Olympics 2020 gold medallist’s response wasn’t a surprise to fans, as he went on to pick Jaspri Bumrah, snubbing the likes of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. “I feel it will be fast bowler only. I want to see Jasprit Bumrah in his prime, with proper fitness, try out javelin throw,” he said.
Chopra began his 2025 campaign with an invitational meet in Potchefstroom. He bagged gold with a 84.52m throw and showed good form. Then he was next in action at the Diamond League in Doha, and surpassed the elusive 90m mark, but had to settle for silver.
{{/usCountry}}Chopra began his 2025 campaign with an invitational meet in Potchefstroom. He bagged gold with a 84.52m throw and showed good form. Then he was next in action at the Diamond League in Doha, and surpassed the elusive 90m mark, but had to settle for silver.
{{/usCountry}}Then at the Janusz Kusocinski Memorial in Chorzow, he came second with a throw of 84.14m. He finally beat Julian Weber at the Paris Diamond League, with an opening throw of 88.16m. He also got his third victory of the season, with a throw of 88.16, at the Ostrava Golden Spike.
At the upcoming NC Classic, Arshad Nadeem and Weber will be huge absences, with the former publicly declining the invitation due to Indo-Pak tensions. In Bengaluru, his main opponent will be Grenada’s Anderson Peters, who is the current world No. 3. Peters had taken the No. 1 position from Neeraj on September 17 last year, when he won the Diamond League Final in Brussels.