Neeraj Chopra Classic postponed indefinitely

THE INAUGURAL Neeraj Chopra Classic, scheduled to be held on May 24 in Bengaluru, has been postponed indefinitely in the wake of India-Pakistan tensions.

The organizers of the high-profile javelin event said on Friday (9) that the "thoughts at this point are only with our armed forces, who are at the forefront for our nation".

Double Olympic medallist Chopra, who is also a part of the organizing team, announced the postponement by posting a statement on Friday (9) on 'X'.

The announcement came on the day when the Indian Premier League T20 cricket was also postponed amid heightened tension with Pakistan.

"In the light of the current situation, the inaugural edition of the NC Classic stands postponed until further notice," the statement from Team NC Classic read.

"This decision has been made after careful thought and consultation, with the well-being of athletes, stakeholders, and the broader community as the top priority.

"We believe in the unifying power of sport. But, in this critical moment, standing firm with the nation matters most.

"All our gratitude and thoughts at this point are only with our armed forces, who are at the forefront for our nation. Jai Hind," added the statement.

The event was to be jointly organized by Chopra and JSW Sports in collaboration with the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) and World Athletics.

It was granted category A status by World Athletics and was expected to be graced by a number of Olympic medallists, including the Indian superstar himself.

It was shifted to the Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru from the original venue of Panchkula a few days back due to inadequate lighting for live telecast.

The proposed event is a 'dream project' of Chopra, but it remains to be seen whether it finds place in the busy international calendar.

Chopra will compete in the Doha Diamond League on May 16 and he has Ostrava Golden Spike lined up on June 24 after that.

Five Indians were in the fray while seven top javelin throwers from abroad were also scheduled to compete.

Apart from Chopra, the four others are Kishore Jena, Sachin Yadav, Rohit Yadav and Sahil Silwal.

The foreign competitors include two-time world champion Anderson Peters of Grenada, 2016 Olympics gold winner Thomas Rohler of Germany, 2015 world champion Julius Yego of Kenya, American Curtis Thompson, Asian Games bronze medallist Genki Dean of Japan, Rumesh Pathirage of Sri Lanka, and Luiz Mauricio da Silva of Brazil.

Chopra's Pakistani rival Arshad Nadeem was being considered for the event but later the organizers opted out after the April 22 terror attack at Pahalgam in Kashmir. (PTI)