Neeraj Chopra Finishes First At Golden Spike Meet
Neeraj Chopra continued his dominant 2025 season with a stunning win at the Golden Spike Meet in Ostrava, Czech Republic, recording a best throw of 85.29m. The victory marked his second win in a week, following his 88.16m effort at the Paris Diamond League. It was also his first-ever triumph at the prestigious World Athletics Continental Tour Gold event, once dominated by his coach and javelin legend Jan Železný.
Inaugural Edition Of Neeraj Chopra Classic Rescheduled For July 5 In Bengaluru
The Neeraj Chopra Classic, an international javelin throw competition, is all set to debut on July 5 at Bengaluru’s Sree Kanteerava Stadium after being postponed from its original May date due to regional tensions. Conceptualized by Olympic icon Neeraj Chopra and backed by JSW Sports and the Athletics Federation of India, the event boasts a World Athletics Category A status and will feature 12 elite throwers, including world champions and Olympic medalists. Tickets, ranging from ₹199 to ₹9,999, are now available via the District by Zomato app, with premium corporate boxes also on offer.
Neeraj Chopra Finishes Second At Janusz Kusocinski Memorial With A 84.14m Throw
Indian javelin star Neeraj Chopra finished second at the Janusz Kusocinski Memorial meet in Poland with a best throw of 84.14m, days after breaching the 90m mark in Doha.
Neeraj Chopra Breaches 90m Mark For The First Time In His Career
Neeraj Chopra made history at the Doha Diamond League 2025 by crossing the 90m mark for the first time with a throw of 90.23m. Despite finishing second, it was a milestone moment in the star Indian javelin thrower’s career.
Women Take Centre-Stage In The New AFI Athletes Commission
In the new AFI (Athletics Federation of India) Athletes Commission, which was formed recently after the elections that took place in October 2024 and was launched on January 8, 2025, Anju Bobby George has been appointed the chairperson. It is the biggest achievement of the AFI for equality as six of its nine members are women. Female Members Of The AFI Athletes Commission Anju Bobby George, a celebrated long-jumper and bronze medalist at the 2003 World Championships, is joined by five other women: former runners Jyotirmoyee Sikdar and Sunita Rani, discus thrower Krishna Poonia, hurdler M.D. Valsamma and steeplechaser Sudha Singh at the AFI Athletes Commission. George, who also serves as the AFI’s Senior Vice-President, leads the group of accomplished retired athletes. The increase in female representation from four in the previous AFI Athletes Commission to six brings to notice the AFI’s focus on gender parity. Male Members Of The AFI Athletes Commission The three male members in the AFI Athletes Commission are the two-time Olympic medalist in javelin throw, Neeraj Chopra, steeplechaser Avinash Sable and newly-elected AFI President Bahadur Singh Sagoo, a shot put gold medalist at the 2002 Asian Games. Neeraj Chopra, widely regarded as the most prominent male athlete in the panel, was nominated after consultations by the AFI’s Executive Council. Sagoo, who chaired the previous commission, has been appointed as a member in this new formation. Election Process And Transparency The treasurer of AFI, Madhu Kant Pathak, who headed the elections process, said the process was very fair and transparent. Adille Sumariwalla To Work As An Ex-Officio Adille Sumariwalla, the outgoing AFI President, will remain involved as an ex-officio member, representing the AFI on the World Athletics Council. Sumariwalla, 67, who led the AFI for three consecutive terms from 2012, will continue to guide the new leadership and serve as a spokesperson. He has also been appointed chair of a committee that will liaise with the government and international bodies and will join the AFI’s Ethics Commission. 2025 Domestic Athletics Calendar Announced Apart from the AFI Athletes Commission updates, the AFI announced its domestic competition calendar for 2025. Federation Cup, an important national-level event, would be held at Kozhikode in Kerala from April 21-24 after Panchkula withdrew from the race. The National Inter-State Senior Championships is scheduled for August 20-24 in Chennai. National Open Championships would be conducted in Ranchi from September 27-30. The Sportz Planet Desk,Atharva Shetye
Neeraj Chopra Battles Injury And Comes Within a Hair’s Width of Victory
Drama, however, in terms of sporting intrigue is something one can hardly match with the very javelin superstar of India, Neeraj Chopra. The twist in the tale is as sharp as the javelin itself. Neeraj Chopra turned up in the final of the Diamond League in Brussels with a broken hand. Neeraj Chopra broke the fourth metacarpal of his left hand just before the big showdown. Neeraj, however did not just appear for the match, he almost snatched victory in the last moment, finishing just a centimeter short of first place. Anderson Peters won, with a throw of 87.87 meters, however Neeraj’s best effort was only good enough for 87.86 meters. Talk about close calls! What Is A Metacarpal Fracture? Curious, then, that Neeraj Chopra’s fracture isn’t a little thing. The fourth metacarpal is the little bone of the metacarpus connecting the base of the ring finger to the wrist and, most importantly here, vital for gripping, throwing, and, well, holding on to a javelin. Most would be lying down in agony with such pain, swelling, and restricted movement. Not Neeraj! His superhuman willpower kept him going, his hand sending him all kinds of unkind signals, maybe. Groin Troubles—and Still Gunning for Glory If a broken hand wasn’t enough in itself, Neeraj Chopra has had a groin injury throughout the season. The 90-meter mark still eludes him and an injury isn’t exactly helping his cause. The Legend Continues As injured as he was and how close that ultra-narrow defeat finally remained despite all this, Neeraj Chopra’s tenacity remains the stuff of legend. Who can forget the athlete who, with one hand badly broken, hurled the javelin a mere single centimeter from winning it? One thing’s true, Neeraj Chopra is made of something extra special-maybe even javelin-grade steel. The Sportz Planet Desk,Atharva Shetye
Neeraj Chopra Takes Second Place in Lausanne Diamond League 2024 with Season-Best Throw
India’s Neeraj Chopra took a commendable second place at the Lausanne Diamond League 2024 after making the astonishing throw of 89.49 meters to mark his season’s best performance. Though a little short of reaching the elusive mark of 90 meters, Chopra’s resilient show in the field only continued re-establishing him as one of the world’s top javelin throwers. Massive Competition The event was marked with strong competition from Anderson Peters of Grenada, who went on to take the gold at a meet-record 90.61 meters. Peters saved the best for last when he stunned everyone, including the crowd at the athletic field, with his monster final throw that catapulted him to top the leaderboard. A Slow Start The reigning World Champion, Neeraj Chopra was having a slow start to the competition, reaching 82.10 meters, 83.21 meters and 83.13 meters off his first three throws. This kept him in fourth behind Peters, Germany’s Julian Weber, Ukraine’s Artur Felfner, and Japan’s Roderick Dean Genki. A Clutch Performance Under Pressure Neeraj’s never-say-die attitude came to the fore as he further ramped up his game in the fifth round, with a solid throw of 85.58 meters. His clutch performance propelled him into the top three, keeping him in contention as the event reached its final stages. Final Throws Decide the Winner Peters went into the final round, making a season-best 90.61 meters to take the lead. Weber had been throwing well all through, however went short with his last attempt at 82.33 meters. Neeraj Chopra threw everything into the last throw and his javelin soared to 89.49 meters, his second-best ever, just short of that coveted 90-meter barrier. Consistency and Grit Shine Through While Neeraj Chopra could not clinch first place, his track record of finishing in the top two in international tournaments remained intact. Lausanne 2024 added yet another impressive chapter to the 26-year-old’s glittering career. His grit and determination under pressure ensured that it wouldn’t be an unpleasant memory for him or his fans. The Sportz Planet Desk,Atharva Shetye
Paris 2024: India’s Performance Report Card At The Games
India’s campaign at Paris Olympics 2024 evoked mixed reviews. While India bagged six medals, thereby securing its third-best ever overall performance. The Paris Olympics 2024 campaign revealed an array of performances across different sports. Here is a report card of India’s performances at Paris Olympics 2024. Athletics: F and A+ On an overall count, the athletics contingent did very poorly, as most of its athletes failed to match their personal best. But Neeraj Chopra’s silver in javelin was a high point as it was the second-best throw of his life. While the broader athletics performance was lackluster, Chopra’s achievement earned an A+ for its high standards. Archery: C+ Although archery seemed to have some hope, it was the case that the team did not turn out to be as expected. Deepika Kumari was one among the underperformers, while Dhiraj Bommadevara and Bhajan Kaur were people with a lot of promise. The redeeming factors proved to be the historic fourth-place finish and semifinalists marking the history of the team. The management missteps by the federation and lack of top-level support pulled down the grade overall. Badminton: D For the first time since 2008, India failed to secure an Olympic medal in badminton. Satwiksairaj Rankireddy, Chirag Shetty and PV Sindhu were all big expectations in this realm; however, all of them underperformed. A near-bronze performance came from Lakshya Sen, which was a bright spot, but otherwise, the results were a disappointment. Boxing: F The Indian boxers suffered a poor Olympics, with several high hopes coming to naught. While both the world champions Nikhat Zareen and Lovlina Borgohain didn’t return with medals, the issues with the federation regarding the selection and seeding policies were completely evident. There has to be great change in the boxing federation if future prospects are to be improved. Equestrian: B Anush Agarwalla’s qualification and performance in equestrian events were commendable, given the low expectations. Finishing 52nd was an achievement in itself and Agarwalla’s continued presence on the circuit is promising for future competitions. Golf: D Golf did not meet expectations, with Aditi Ashok’s tied-29th finish being the best among Indian golfers. Shubhankar Sharma and Gaganjeet Bhullar also underperformed. The results were below expectations, especially after Ashok’s near-miss in Tokyo. Hockey: A The Indian hockey team punched above its weight to garner bronze in a performance that matched the Tokyo iteration of the team yet again with the exact same medal. But the display in Paris was telling of how they had grown and adapted well enough to bag successive medals for the first time since over 50 years. Judo: N/A Tulika Maan’s campaign was as short as its beginning with the loss, but qualification itself was worthy. An evaluation is hard owing to the fleeting nature of her time at the event. Rowing: B Balraj Panwar’s 23rd-place finish in rowing met expectations of a low ranking as he had only started the sport a year ago. His performance, though not pathbreaking in any way, was a decent start. Sailing: C+ Sailing results were disappointing with Vishnu Saravanan and Nethra Kumanan finishing 18th and 21st. Though not medal contenders by a distance, they had the experience to finish a bit higher than what eventually did. Shooting: A+ Shooting became India’s standout sport, with three medals, ending a 12-year drought. Two bronze medals from Manu Bhaker and the good performances of Sarabjot Singh and Swapnil Kusale proved that Indian shooters could really throw their weight in this discipline and their achievements deserving of an A+. Swimming: B+ Swimming turned out some encouraging results, especially some fine finishes by India’s swimmers. Though there were no medals, the performances of Srihari Nataraj and others did showcase a lot of promise and pointed out the requirement of more investments in this sport. Table Tennis: C and A India’s performance in table tennis had mixed results. The men’s team did less than ordinary, however the women’s team put up quite a stellar show, with Manika Batra and Sreeja Akula reaching the quarterfinal. It was a high point in a performance that left much to be desired in other sports. For now, the better part of India’s performance at the Paris Olympics 2024 can be described as giving mixed indicators of gains and challenges to be overcome in different sports. The Sportz Planet Desk,Atharva Shteye
Paris 2024: Neeraj Chopra Brings Home A Sliver For India
In a thrilling men’s javelin throw at the Paris Olympics 2024, on Thursday, Neeraj Chopra, the reigning champion from Tokyo 2020, claimed silver, taking his second-best throw ever. Surely to put up a good fight, Neeraj’s performance was just overshadowed by Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem, who took gold with a truly jaw-dropping record of 92.97m for the Olympic record. Struggles with Form and Technique Neeraj Chopra, who managed just one valid throw of 89.45 meters in his six attempts, spoke with some disappointment after the event. “It was a good throw but I’m not that happy with my performance today,” he admitted. “My technique and runway were not that good. (I managed) only one throw, the rest I fouled.” Injury Concerns and Challenges in Preparation Speaking reflectively on his struggles during the final, Neeraj Chopra said, “(For my) second throw I believed in myself to think I can also throw that far. But in javelin, if your run is not so good, you can’t throw very far.” That silver-medal-winning throw came on his second attempt, and it was patently obvious that he was not at his best. Impact of Persistent Injuries The 26-year-old Indian ace also admitted that he was not doing well in the past two-three years and acknowledged that this was pulling him back once more. “I am always getting injured. I really tried hard, but I have to work upon my injury and technique,” he added. Adductor Muscle Issues Neeraj Chopra’s preparations for Paris 2024 had been marred by problems with his adductor muscles, which even forced him to pull out of several crucial meets, including the Ostrava Golden Spike. He had earlier disclosed that the problems with these adductors were dragging on intermittently for almost the past two years. He had added that he would seek further medical consultation for the same after the Olympics. “I’m not doing much throwing in training because of my groin (injury). But I will work hard in future,” he promised his fans. Gracious Congrats to Nadeem Despite his own challenges, Neeraj Chopra gracefully congratulated his competitor and friend, Arshad Nadeem, for his performance. “Today’s competition was really great. Arshad Nadeem threw really well. Congratulations to him and his country,” he said. Historic Gold for Pakistan Arshad Nadeem brought a lot of history to Pakistan with his gold medal, being the first-ever individual Olympic gold won by any Pakistani athlete and the country’s first Olympic medal since the Barcelona 1992 Games. The Sportz Planet Desk,Atharva Shetye
Paris 2024: Neeraj Chopra Turns Custodian Of Hope As India Dreams For Gold
As Neeraj Chopra gets ready to beat the odds once more and compete for Olympic gold for a second time, the stakes couldn’t get any higher. Victory will make him the most decorated Indian athlete at the Olympics in any individual sport. Currently, shuttler PV Sindhu – with one silver and one bronze, wrestler Sushil Kumar – with one silver and one bronze, and shooter Manu Bhaker – with two bronzes hold two Olympic medals each, all post independence. Enthrown in a fantastic throw, which is the second-best of his career performance-wise, Chopra has thus silenced the biggest question that people had going into the Games: his fitness. The athlete had confessed to carrying an adductor niggle into the Games. Of course, his personal best remains an impressive 89.94 meters, achieved in 2022. This 89.34 meters he recorded is not only sealing his place as one among the top contenders but has also revived the hopes of millions of Indian fans who are awaiting the day—Thursday—when perhaps Chopra would cross the elusive 90-meter mark. Noteworthy is the fact that this effort stands as the second-best throw in the qualifying rounds at the Olympics, only after the legendary Jan Zelezny’s 89.39 meters during the 2000 Sydney Games. But right before Neeraj Chopra enters the fray to defend that gold, just so dear, let us take a moment to recollect those world-beating achievements that have defined this illustrious career. Year Competition Venue / Country Medal 2016 Asian U20 Championships Vietnam Silver 2016 World U20 Championships Bydgoszcz, Poland Gold 2017 Asian Championships Bhubaneshwar, India Gold 2018 Commonwealth Games Australia Gold 2018 Asian Games Jakarta, Indonesia Gold 2021 Tokyo Olympics 2020 Japan Gold 2022 World Championships United States Silver 2022 Diamond League Zurich Gold 2023 Diamond League Doha Gold 2023 World Championships Budapest, Hungary Gold 2023 Asian Games Hangzhou, China Gold 2024 Diamond League Doha Silver Neeraj Chopra once again has found himself as the custodian of dreams as India would be banking on him for that elusive Olympic gold medal at Paris Olympics 2024. The Sportz Planet Desk,Atharva Shetye