Athletics-Chopra hopes eponymous event will bring Diamond League to India
NEW DELHI (Reuters) -Neeraj Chopra will tick off an item in his bucket list with an eponymous javelin competition in Bengaluru next month but the poster boy of Indian athletics has also added a new one to it - watching a Diamond League event in the country.
The Neeraj Chopra Classic on May 24 will be a World Athletics Gold category event featuring former world champions Anderson Peters and Julius Yego, 2016 Olympic winner Thomas Roehler and American Curtis Thompson among others.
Chopra, who won the gold at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics but settled for silver behind Arshad Nadeem in Paris last year, could not confirm the participation of his Pakistani frenemy though.
"He is consulting his coach but has not confirmed his participation yet," Chopra told a virtual press conference on Monday.
"Like other top throwers, Arshad too has been invited. It will involve government (permission). Once everything is confirmed, we will know the final list."
India and Pakistan have suspended bilateral cricket over their soured political relations though the bitter neighbours continue to engage in Olympic sports.
Chopra is the first Indian track-and-field athlete to win an Olympic gold, world championship and the Diamond League and has single-handedly raised the profile of Olympic sports in an otherwise cricket-mad country.
Having an event bearing his name, like pole vaulter Armand Duplantis has one Sweden, is another dream Chopra wanted to fulfil.
"It's always been a dream of mine to see India host a world class athletic event. To have such an event, that too named after me, feels surreal," the 27-year-old said.
"This is going to be an annual event and were are going to expand it to include more disciplines.
"People will get to see top throwers competing right in front of their eyes. It would be a major boost for local talent, who will get to perform against the best athletes.
"Our next effort should to bring a Diamond League event to India. It is not impossible.
"We have the stadiums and World Athletics is aware of the growing popularity of these events in India. They also want more crowd follow athletics."
(Reporting by Amlan Chakraborty in New Delhi; editing by Pritha Sarkar)
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
40 minutes ago
- The Star
Rugby-WWE or Hollywood? Maher considering next move after Rugby World Cup
MANCHESTER, England (Reuters) -U.S. rugby player Ilona Maher said she is contemplating an offer to participate in WWE wrestling as a stepping stone to Hollywood after the Women's Rugby World Cup that kicks off on Friday in England. "I've been approached before by the WWE," she told the BBC, joking that her ring name would be 'Maher-vellous'. "I should think about it, there is great money in it." Maher is the world's most followed rugby player with nearly nine million followers across Instagram and TikTok. She was also a contestant on "Dancing with the Stars", posed for Sports Illustrated's swimsuit issue and was named best breakthrough athlete at this year's Espys, ESPN's annual award show. "I would love to get into the acting space and the scripted space. I think a Dwayne 'the Rock' Johnson, John Cena progression - I would love to do that," Maher said. "It would be exciting to see my body type on the screen. I'll start off small - probably like a hot assassin or something, let's not get too crazy. I'm not going to be in a rom-com just yet. "We'll see. The world is open, but I do see myself coming back to rugby." The United States play favourites England to open the World Cup on Friday at Sunderland's Stadium of Light. (Reporting by Lori EwingEditing by Christian Radnedge)
The Star
an hour ago
- The Star
Soccer-Dembele can hit new heights this year, says PSG boss Luis Enrique
(Reuters) -Paris St Germain manager Luis Enrique is convinced forward Ousmane Dembele can improve on his 2024–25 season, when he spearheaded PSG's treble win and emerged as one of the leading Ballon d'Or contenders. The 28-year-old Dembele emerged from the shadow of former PSG star Kylian Mbappe last season and proved instrumental in their Champions League winning run and continued to impress in the Club World Cup, where PSG finished runners-up. Dembele, who scored 35 goals and made 16 assists last season, kept PSG alive in last week's UEFA Super Cup, setting up Goncalo Ramos' 94th-minute equaliser before new goalkeeper Lucas Chevalier drew praise for his saves in their penalty shootout win over Tottenham Hotspur. "I think this season is a big challenge for Ousmane. Last year was incredible, yet I am convinced that he can improve his performance, without a doubt," Luis Enrique said ahead of Friday's home game against Angers. "You have to be very brave to say that (about Dembele), but I think he has got the level. He is a really important player for us. He has quality in attack and also in defence. I can see how happy he is; I hope this year will be even better." Friday's game will be PSG's first at the Parc des Princes in three months and mark home debuts for Chevalier and defender Illia Zabarnyi. The club will also present their five trophies (Ligue 1, French Cup, Champions League, French Super Cup and UEFA Super Cup) in front of the home crowd. "It's very important for us to see our fans again and return to the Parc des Princes after 10 away matches. We've really missed the stadium and the fans. We know that the atmosphere always makes a difference," Luis Enrique said. Asked whether ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine had caused any issues in the dressing room, with PSG's squad now featuring Russian second-choice goalkeeper Matvei Safonov and Ukrainian defender Zabarnyi, Luis Enrique said football brought people together. "Football is the best way to bring people together and create unity, not separation," he said. "Sports and people come before political or economic interest of politicians." (Reporting by Shifa Jahan in BengaluruEditing by Toby Davis)
The Star
an hour ago
- The Star
Tennis-Gauff hopes coaching shake-up will bring instant success in New York
FILE PHOTO: Aug 15, 2025; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Coco Gauff (USA) returns a shot against Jasmine Paolini (ITA) during the Cincinnati Open at the Lindner Family Tennis Center. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-Imagn Images/File Photo (Reuters) -After a triumphant French Open but inconsistent performances on grass and hard courts, Coco Gauff arrives at the U.S. Open hoping to rediscover her 2023 title-winning form, now under new guidance after splitting with her coach days before the event. With Matthew Daly no longer in the picture, the 21-year-old will lean heavily on longtime mentor Jean-Christophe Faurel in New York, and is looking to address the issues with her serve with the addition of biomechanics specialist Gavin MacMillan. That facet of Gauff's game has been a glaring weakness, yielding a tour-high 320 double faults this season, including 42 across just three matches at this month's Canadian Open. The shake-up follows an inconsistent period during which Gauff has won just four single matches since winning Roland Garros in May. A first-round exit at Wimbledon to Dayana Yastremska, and subsequent losses to Victoria Mboko and Jasmine Paolini in Canada and Cincinnati saw her slip from world number two to three. The American has been candid about the sport's highs and lows, and despite her recent struggles she was confident in her ability to turn things around. "No one calls my season bad because I won Roland Garros, and for people, winning a Grand Slam more or less defines whether you've had a successful season or not," Gauff told reporters after her Cincinnati quarter-final exit. "Sometimes tennis fans want us to win like every week. But we're playing 11 months. It's not that easy. "It's completely normal for a player to have a good 3-4 weeks, then maybe a not-so-good 3-4 weeks just because of the way our season is built." Gauff now returns to the site of her breakthrough major victory in 2023, looking to add a third Grand Slam trophy to her cabinet. With a strong mindset, elite athleticism and experience of playing for the biggest prizes in the sport, Gauff is widely seen as a future world number one and bold moves like reshaping her coaching team on the eve of a major could be exactly what propels her there. "It's very surprising that a top player would do that right before a major," analyst Patrick McEnroe noted ahead of the tournament. "But one of the things you've got to love with Coco Gauff is she wants to get better." (Reporting by Janina Nuno Rios in Mexico City; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
