India-Pakistan conflict: Neeraj Chopra's NC Classic in Bengaluru postponed
Neeraj Chopra's invitational javelin event – NC Classic 2025 – that was set to take place in Bengaluru later this month has been postponed until further notice, in light of escalating tension between India and Pakistan, according to a statement issued by the organisers.
'In light of the current situation, the inaugural edition of the NC Classic stands postponed until further notice. This decision has been made after careful thought and consultation, with the well-being of athletes, stakeholders, and the broader community as the top priority,' the statement said. 'We believe in the unifying power of sport. But, in this critical moment, standing firm with the nation matters most. All our gratitude and thoughts at this point are only with our Armed Forces, who are at the forefront for our nation. A revised schedule for the NC Classic will be provided in due course. Jai Hind.'
Neeraj, in a press conference last month, had said hosting this event, which was given Category A status by World Athletics, was a dream come true for him. 'People always ask me about what next after Olympics, World Championships, Diamond League, etc. All my medals are special and are kept at home. It's great that I have won those. But, this… hosting such an event, I actually feel that I have given something back to Indian athletics,' he had said. Originally, Neeraj had said Pakistan's Arshad Nadeem was invited, just as most of the top javelin throwers in the world were. But he issued a statement later saying Nadeem's participation was out of question after the events of Pahalgam where 26 civilians were killed in the terrorist attack on April 22.
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'There has been so much talk about my decision to invite Arshad Nadeem to compete in the Neeraj Chopra Classic, and most of it has been hate and abuse,' Neeraj had said through a statement posted on his social media channels. 'They haven't even left my family out of it. The invitation I extended to Arshad was from one athlete to another — nothing more, nothing less. The aim of the NC Classic was to bring the best athletes to India and for our country to be the home of world-class sporting events. Invites had gone out to all athletes on Monday, two days before the terrorist attacks at Pahalgam. After all that has taken place over the last 48 hours, Arshad's presence at the NC Classic was completely out of the question.'
Some of the world's top athletes were set to compete in the event that was moved from Panchkula in Haryana to the Sree Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru. Former World Champions Anderson Peters and Julius Yego and Rio 2016 champion Thomas Rohler were among the international stars who were confirmed to participate in the event.
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