India’s star javelin thrower, Neeraj Chopra, emerged as the winner at the debut edition of the Neeraj Chopra Classic held at Bengaluru’s Sri Kanteerava Outdoor Stadium. With a strong throw of 86.18 meters, he topped the leaderboard in the event named after him.
A Fierce Battle Among Top Throwers
Kenya’s Julius Yego delivered his season’s best throw of 84.51 meters to take second place. Close behind was Sri Lanka’s Rumesh Pathirage, who secured third with an impressive 84.34 meters. Although the competition was tight, Neeraj stayed focused and held on to his position at the top, continuing his streak of top-two finishes since June 2021.
Early Action and Dramatic Turns
The event began with India’s Sahil Silwal throwing 77.48 meters, followed by Rohit Yadav who reached 77.11 meters. Neeraj started with a foul but quickly bounced back, throwing 82.99 meters to take an early lead. However, Rumesh briefly overtook him with a throw of 84.34 meters. In response, Neeraj unleashed a powerful 86.18-meter throw, reclaiming the top spot.
Others in the competition, like Yashvir Singh and Sachin Yadav, managed decent distances, but not enough to challenge the leaders. Former Olympic champion Thomas Rohler of Germany struggled and was eliminated early with a best of 75.85 meters.
Crowd Cheers and Final Efforts
As the final eight competitors continued, Yego gave his best with a strong 84.51-meter throw, bringing a big smile to his face. Sachin improved slightly but ended up fourth after a foul in his last attempt. Curtis Thompson from the U.S. finished sixth with 81.50 meters.
In the final round, Neeraj’s last attempt landed at 82.22 meters. Though not his longest throw of the day, it was enough to seal his victory and keep his remarkable form going in front of an excited home crowd.
