Neeraj Chopra Triumphs at Inaugural Neeraj Chopra Classic in Bengaluru
Neeraj Chopra's Victory at His Own Classic
Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], July 5: After clinching victory at the first-ever Neeraj Chopra Classic in Bengaluru, India's Olympic gold medalist and world champion Neeraj Chopra shared his reflections on the event. While he celebrated his win, he expressed a desire for improved performance in his throws. Additionally, he discussed the unique challenge of being both an athlete and an organizer for this competition.
Chopra emerged victorious at the inaugural Neeraj Chopra Classic held at the Sri Kanteerava Outdoor Stadium, achieving a throw of 86.18m. Kenya's Julius Yego secured second place with a season-best throw of 84.51m, while Sri Lanka's Rumesh Pathirage took third with a throw of 84.34m.
In a post-event press conference, Neeraj reflected on the challenges he faced in the days leading up to the competition, noting the unusual feeling of having an event named after him. He expressed his happiness at being able to keep the medal and trophy from this first edition.
Neeraj acknowledged the enthusiastic support from Bengaluru's fans, stating that the crowd's energy was palpable. He recalled facing headwinds during his throws, similar to his experience at the Doha Diamond League, which affected his performance.
"I made a technical error at the start, which led to a foul throw. My coach advised me to throw straight, and I felt I could have done better. However, I am pleased with my win in this inaugural event," he remarked.
After a few throws, he felt confident and believed one of his throws could have reached 87-88m if conditions had been ideal. He noted that the crowd's support added pressure but also motivation during his attempts.
Neeraj expressed gratitude to everyone involved in organizing the event, including the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) and World Athletics, for facilitating a gold-level competition. He emphasized the significance of this event for India and expressed hope for more competitions in the future.
Despite facing stiff competition, Neeraj's skill remained unmatched throughout the tournament. Although he did not achieve another 90m throw, he maintained his position among the top two since June 26, 2021.
The event kicked off with India's Sahil Silwal, who recorded a throw of 77.48m, followed by World Championships finalist Rohit Yadav with 77.11m. Neeraj's first attempt resulted in a foul, but he quickly recovered with a throw of 82.99m, taking the lead.
Rumesh briefly took the top spot with 84.34m, igniting Neeraj's competitive spirit, leading him to respond with a throw of 86.18m on his third attempt. The competition saw several athletes eliminated after their initial throws, including Olympic champion Thomas Rohler.
In the later rounds, Neeraj attempted to improve his distance but did not achieve the desired results. Yego, known as 'Mr. YouTube,' celebrated his season-best throw of 84.51m, while Neeraj's final throw registered at 82.22m, securing his victory and maintaining his impressive streak.