Neeraj Chopra wins the inaugural NC Classic

Swirling winds could not deny Neeraj Chopra a victory in his own event, as the Indian superstar clinched the maiden Neeraj Chopra Classic with a throw of 86.18m on Saturday, July 5. Neeraj put in an incredible show, not only as an athlete but as an organiser as well, in an electrifying event at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru.

A packed crowd came to the stadium to watch Neeraj and some of the top javelin stars in the world. The first-of-a-kind event gave them their money's worth, where the athletes were forced to battle it out, not only amongst themselves but against the weather conditions as well.

It was not one and done for Neeraj Chopra on Saturday, rather, far from it. The swirling winds at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium made it difficult for Neeraj to achieve a perfect throw in his own competition. Known to stamp his authority in competitions with his very first throw, Chopra stumbled in his run-up, forcing



his first throw to be ruled out.

Julius Yego, a friend and longtime competitor, walked up to him, gesturing to Chopra to calm his nerves. Yego, who understands well the pressure of carrying the hope of his country, spoke to him for a brief moment. The talk seemed to do the trick in the second round, where Neeraj threw a terrific distance of 82.33m, taking the lead for a brief moment in the competition.

The Indian superstar was challenged by Sri Lanka's Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage, a former fast bowler, who put in one of the best efforts of his career, throwing a distance of 84.34m, snatching the lead away from the home favourite. Neeraj saw that, and was going to have none of it.

Despite the conditions at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium, Neeraj came in clutch under pressure, as he mostly does, hitting a mammoth distance of 86.18m, propelling himself back into the lead in the third round of the competition.