Former Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra believes his eponymous javelin competition could be the catalyst that transforms India's athletics landscape, as the country prepares to host a world-class field event on Saturday.
The inaugural edition of the Neeraj Chopra Classic will feature an impressive lineup including 2016 Olympic gold medallist Thomas Rohler, 2015 World champion Julius Yego, and Chopra himself alongside domestic talent.
"I never dreamt of this event as I had always thought of representing India and winning medals. Apart from the medals, I now feel that I have given something to India and its athletes," Chopra told reporters on Friday ahead of the meet in Bengaluru.
Chopra, who won gold at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 and silver at the 2024 Paris Games, believes "the event is just the start for many more international competitions to come to India" and has grander ambitions beyond Saturday's meet.
"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," the 27-year-old said.
While the javelin throw may appear straightforward to the untrained eye, Rohler said it comes with unique pressures.
"Any 90-metre throw has a huge impact on the body ... So it's really tough. We have to do the training for the impact and also for the technique. Doing it again and again is a mental challenge," the German said.
"It's about dealing with the pressure from the outside. In 2012, you won the Olympic Games with 84m," he added, referring to the mark by Keshorn Walcott of 84.58 that secured gold.
"Now people expect you to throw 90m, and if you don't do it, people ask you, was it a bad day?
"We need to see that the percentage of people in the world who have ever thrown over 90m is so small. If you look at a huge cricket team and if we talk about the top players, it's the same as comparing them to 90m in javelin."
The field will also showcase India's emerging talent - Sachin Yadav, Rohit Yadav, Sahil Silwal and Yashvir Singh - competing alongside international stars in what Chopra hopes will soon become a regular occurrence.
