The Neeraj Chopra Classic Javelin Throw competition will be held on May 24 in Bengaluru and provides Indian athletics enthusiasts with an opportunity to see some of the sport’s biggest stars in action. Though the event will host world-class competitors, Olympic gold medallist Arshad Nadeem has declined the invitation because of pre-existing commitments.
Arshad Nadeem Declines Invitation
Nadeem, in a recent media interaction in Pakistan, confirmed his unavailability, citing preparations for the Asian Athletics Championship, scheduled from May 27 to 31. He explained that he would be travelling to South Korea on May 22 as part of his training schedule, making participation in the Indian event impossible.
The withdrawal was also after the Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir, which had been allegedly claimed by The Resistance Front, a breakaway group of Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba, as per media reports.
Neeraj Chopra Responds to Controversy
Neeraj Chopra inviting Arshad ahead of the attack had incurred anger. The backlash following the criticism led to the Tokyo Olympics gold medallist going to social media to clear the air and justify his actions. He made it clear that the invitation was extended before the terrorist attack, and the abusive response he received was aimed at his family as well.
He penned, “I am mostly a man of few words, but that doesn’t imply that I will not say anything if I feel something is wrong. Especially so when it is questioning my love for our country, and the respect and honour of my family.”
“There has been so much chatter regarding my choice of inviting Arshad Nadeem to participate in the Neeraj Chopra Classic, and nearly all of it has been abuse and hate. They haven’t even spared my family. The invitation extended to Arshad was from an athlete to an athlete nothing more, nothing less. The objective of the NC Classic was to get the world’s best players to India and to make our nation the venue of world-class sports events. The invitations had been issued to all participants on Monday, two days prior to the terrorist attacks at Pahalgam,” Neeraj said.
“Given everything that has happened in the past 48 hours, Arshad attending the NC Classic was absolutely out of the question. My country and our nation’s interests will always take precedence. To those who are experiencing the loss of their citizens, my thoughts and my prayers are with you.”
— Neeraj Chopra (@Neeraj_chopra1) April 25, 2025
World-Class Athletes Set to Participate
In spite of the controversy surrounding the event, the competition will feature top-notch talent. Two-time world champion Anderson Peters, Olympic medallist Julius Yego, and Germany’s Thomas Rohler will participate.
The NC Classic, jointly organised by Neeraj Chopra, JSW Sports, the Athletics Federation of India (AFI), and World Athletics (WA), was initially scheduled to be hosted in Panchkula but had to be moved to Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru due to floodlight problems.
