Pathbreaking Neeraj Chopra keeps Indian athletics’ flag flying, on and off the field, as NC Classic’s success grabs eyeballs

Neeraj Chopra has been a matchless pathbreaker in Indian athletics for close to a decade. He has brought home glories of the unprecedented kind—World Championships title, Olympic medals, Diamond League crowns and the hallowed 90-metre mark.

A byproduct of such blinding success is that it bequeaths one with immense soft power, something only cricketers and movie stars usually possess in this country.

Neeraj, though, never wielded the full potential of this fame. His public appearances were scarce, his social media activity mellow, and his endorsements never over-the-top.

But over the last few months, Neeraj was forced to come out of this cocoon and brandish his influence, following the announcement of the inaugural edition of Neeraj Chopra Classic, a top-tier javelin throw event set to display India’s potential to host big-ticket events.

As the co-host of the NC Classic, the reigning world champion went out of his way to indulge in the organisational mire of the event. In addition to inviting elite international throwers, he dove head-first into the decision-making process—subduing the spice level of athletes’ meals to picking the choice of stadium music during the event buildup.

Neeraj and his team’s efforts yielded the results as the maiden NC Classic surged into a resounding success. Nearly 15,000 fans flocked to the Sree Kanteerava Stadium on July 5 to cheer on a top-class field, while millions watched it on screens across the world.

Befittingly, Neeraj won the title, with an 86.05m throw in the third round, as he staved off challenges from Kenya’s Julius Yego and Sri Lanka’s Rumesh Pathirage.

The attention garnered by the NC Classic astounded the likes of Rio Olympic gold medallist Thomas Rohler, who has been to nearly all corners of the world as a competing athlete.

“Fifteen thousand people for only javelin is unique. To be honest, I have never seen something like this,” said Rohler.

The 2015 World Champion Yego echoed Rohler’s thoughts. “It was amazing. Before I even threw my best, I was joining the fun with the crowd. I got a season-best throw, and I am going home happy.”

In the end, it was validation for Neeraj. In the week ahead of the NC Classic, the 27-year-old had gone on a promotional blitzkrieg, almost as if he was afraid the event had failed to stoke up the necessary attention.

“To see athletics getting this much support is what we wanted. It felt so good. This is a reward for the athletes’ hard work. I wasn’t just thinking like an athlete. There was pressure, a different kind of pressure,” said Neeraj after the meet.

The emotional toll of management that Neeraj spoke about was evident on the eve of the competition. The Indian athlete was fidgety at the pre-event press conference, a sense of apprehension about NC Classic’s success writ large across his face.

The Neeraj who turned up for the post-event media interaction was far more relaxed. His smile was no longer weighed down by anxiety, while his words sang to the tune of relief.

“I was worrying about how things were being organised. Even the smallest delay had me fretting. But eventually, everything went well. The crowd was fantastic. The athletes were enjoying the atmosphere. And I won too. It felt so good,” added Neeraj.

Bengaluru’s reception shone through even before the shower of javelins started.

An hour before the first throw, Jan Zelezny, Neeraj’s coach and the world-record holder, was swarmed by a horde of fans keen to get autographs and selfies. In a country where athletics coaches go undetected every day, it was a significant indicator of javelin’s burgeoning stature.

For his part, Zelezny was an exuberant presence on the sidelines, constantly chipping in with suggestions to Neeraj, as he expectedly outshone the rest of the field.

The home favourite’s win, though, came in arduous circumstances as the Bengaluru weather decided to throw an unexpected spanner in the works, in the form of an agitated headwind.

Even when it appeared the throwers had achieved the perfect launch, the spear’s trajectory was often hindered by the moody air current. Neeraj was the only one to cross 85m in the night as he claimed the inaugural NC Classic title.

Flanking Neeraj on the podium in Bengaluru were two throwers on different ends of the experience spectrum.

While the 36-year-old Yego was forced to dig deep to produce an 84.51m throw to finish second, the young Pathirage continued his impressive progression.

The 22-year-old Lankan produced an 84.34m effort – the third-best throw of his career – to claim the silver medal.

Among the other Indians in the field, Sachin Yadav, who recently claimed silver at the Asian Athletics Championships, finished fourth with 82.33m.

The experienced Rohler, though, failed to adjust to the challenging conditions and was eliminated after the third round.

The churning headwind aside, the meet proved to be the perfect initiation for India to the bigger pastures of world athletics.

Speaking at the pre-event presser, Neeraj, sitting next to Germany’s Rohler, suggested that the NC Classic will hopefully pave the way for more such elite competitions in the country, providing Indian athletes with a chance to rub shoulders with the best.

“We see so many competitions in Germany—A, B, C category. Similarly, I wish to see at least five to six such world-class competitions in India as well,” said Neeraj.

Adille Sumariwalla, World Athletics vice president, backed Neeraj, saying it is imperative for India to host high-profile athletics events to boost its bid to bring home the 2036 Olympics.

After the NC Classic, the former Athletics Federation of India (AFI) president announced India’s plans in that regard. “We are preparing strategic bids for both the 2029 and 2031 editions. Since the hosting rights will be awarded together, we are open to securing either one.”

Neeraj’s idea of India’s athletic future, though, isn’t limited to just top-tier meets. He envisions more stadiums and a wider spread of elite coaches across the breadth of the country.

“I am from a village which didn’t have a stadium. I used to go to Panipat for training. If there was a stadium nearby, maybe more children could have trained. When I fly across Europe, I see some 50 stadiums every 10-15 minutes. In India, we will see as many stadiums if we travel from Kashmir to Kanyakumari. So, there should be as many stadiums as possible in India, with more specialised coaches training youngsters,” said Neeraj.

For long, Neeraj has been the totem of Indian athletics, a glittering jewel of excellence for a success-starved nation. With the NC Classic, he has established that he is capable of more, as he lights up yet another untrodden path for track and field sports in India.