Inaugural Neeraj Chopra Classic Set for July 5 with Star-Studded Line-Up
Exciting Line-Up for the Neeraj Chopra Classic
The inaugural Neeraj Chopra Classic is scheduled for July 5, featuring prominent athletes such as two-time Olympic medallist Neeraj Chopra, two-time world champion Anderson Peters from Grenada, 2016 Rio Olympics gold medallist Thomas Rohler from Germany, and Kenya's Julius Yego.
Initially planned for May 24, the event was postponed to July 5 due to escalating tensions between India and Pakistan.
Neeraj Chopra, who is the face of this event, will encounter fierce competition from some of the sport's elite.
Confirmed Participants for the NC Classic 2025
On Friday, the event organizers announced a 12-member entry list for the NC Classic, as reported by Olympics.com.
The updated roster closely mirrors the original list, with one exception: Japan's Genki Dean has been replaced by Poland's Martin Konecny.
Anderson Peters, Thomas Rohler, and Julius Yego will compete as initially planned, alongside Pan American Games champion Curtis Thompson from the USA, Brazil's Luiz Mauricio da Silva, and Sri Lanka's Rumesh Pathirage.
Local Talents Competing in the NC Classic
Indian javelin throwers Kishore Jena, Sachin Yadav, Rohit Yadav, and Sahil Silwal will join Neeraj in representing the local contingent.
Sachin Yadav recently earned a silver medal at the Asian Athletics Championships in Gumi, South Korea, finishing just behind Pakistan's Arshad Nadeem.
The NC Classic is co-organized by Neeraj Chopra, JSW Sports, the Athletics Federation of India (AFI), and World Athletics (WA), and will take place at the Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru.
Event Details and Classification
Originally intended to be held at Panchkula's Tau Devi Lal Stadium in Neeraj's home state of Haryana, the venue was changed due to floodlight issues.
The NC Classic is classified as a WA 'A' category or Continental Tour Gold-level meet, marking it as the highest-tier international athletics event ever hosted in India.
Entry List for Neeraj Chopra Classic 2025
The confirmed participants include:
- Neeraj Chopra (IND)
- Anderson Peters (GRN)
- Luiz Mauricio da Silva (BRA)
- Thomas Rohler (GER)
- Curtis Thompson (USA)
- Martin Konecny (POL)
- Julius Yego (KEN)
- Rumesh Pathirage (SRI)
- Sachin Yadav (IND)
- Rohit Yadav (IND)
- Sahil Silwal (IND)
- Kishore Jena (IND)