By Vivek Prabhakar Singh

Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], July 4 (ANI): India's ace Javelin thrower and two-time Olympic medallist Neeraj Chopra expressed his thoughts on the competition named after himNeeraj Chopra (NC) Classic 2025 tournament, where he said that he has worked really hard for this, and 'all this is written in one's destiny'.

In a defining milestone for Indian sports, the Neeraj Chopra Classic 2025, the country's first-ever international javelin competition, is all set to unfold at Bengaluru's Sree Kanteerava Stadium on Saturday, July 5.

This historic event, co-organised by two-time Olympic medallist Neeraj Chopra and JSW Sports, and sanctioned by the Athletics Federation of India, marks a major leap forward for Indian athletics.

With the prestigious World Athletics Gold level status, the Neeraj Chopra Classic 2025 will not only showcase top global talent but also place India on the international athletics map. Honouring the remarkable achievement of Neeraj Chopra, whose golden journey continues to inspire millions, the landmark event is a celebration of a movement that shapes the future of Indian sport.

On the inaugural Neeraj Chopra Classic 2025, Neeraj Chopra told ANI, '...I think all this is written in one's destiny. I worked hard. The background I come from is not like this. There was no javelin thrower or athlete in the family. But the journey has been terrific. I won for the country in the Olympics, the World Championship and other competitions. Finally, a competition is taking place in India and I am competing in the same with international athletes. Everyone is so happy to be here. It feels great to see such things happening that I had never even dreamt of...This is something new which I have tried...'

The year 2025 has been incredible for Neeraj, as he kickstarted with a win at the Potch Invitational in Potchefstroom, South Africa, in April and followed it up with a very special second-place finish at Doha Diamond League, where he crossed the 90-metre mark for the first time ever with a throw of 90.23 m.

On hitting the 90-metre mark, ace javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra said, 'I was focused earlier too...But the 90-metre mark has become a magical mark. I have touched it now...It is a massive throw. I would try to throw farther and better, and I would always keep working hard for it.'

Recently, Neeraj Chopra reclaimed his number one spot in men's javelin throw world rankings from Anderson Peters of Grenada following a string of brilliant performances on the international stage.

World Athletics updated the rankings earlier this week, increasing Neeraj's points to 1,445 compared to Peters' tally of 1,431, according to Olympics.com. Also, Pakistan's Olympic champion Arshad Nadeem sits at number four with 1,370 points to his name.

Neeraj lost his top spot to Peters back in September 2024, just shortly after the Paris Olympics, where he attained a silver medal with a throw of 89.45, and Peters took home the bronze. (ANI)