Mumbai, Jan 11 (IANS) In what promises to be a landmark moment in Indian sport, two-time Olympic medallist Neeraj Chopra will be bringing a Continental Tour javelin-only competition to India. While the venue is yet to be finalised, the event is slated to take place in May this year.
The event being held in association with JSW Sports, along with the support of World Athletics and the Athletics Federation of India, will see some of the best male and female javelin throwers from around the world – headlined by Chopra – compete on Indian soil for the first time.
Speaking about the event, Chopra said, “It has been a longstanding dream of mine to organise and bring a world-class javelin competition to India. With the help of JSW Sports and the Athletics Federation of India, we are making this happen. I am sure that my fellow athletes and the fans in India will both create an experience that will be spoken about for a long time. I am excited to see how big we can make this.”
Chopra and JSW Sports are keen to make the event an annual fixture in the world athletics calendar, with an eye on adding more track and field disciplines to the meeting.
Parth Jindal, Founder, JSW Sports said, “I would like to thank the Athletics Federation of India and their leadership for giving us this fantastic opportunity of bringing a world-class event to India. The AFI has been doing some incredible work to raise the profile of track and field sports in the country, and how they have come forward to support this event is a testament to their endeavours.”
The star-studded lined-up aside, the focus will be on delivering a competition that enhances viewer experience using technology – both, at the event and via broadcast.
Speaking about the upcoming event, Lord Sebastian Coe, President, World Athletics, said, “World Athletics is delighted to support this new event that will allow fans in India to see their heroes on home soil and that will also showcase to the world India’s ability to stage gold standard events.”
The meet also aims to inspire the next generation of Indian athletes and to amplify the health and fitness initiatives undertaken by the Government of India. With the AFI giving track and field disciplines a concerted push, India has taken big strides of progress on the continental and global stage with records and numerous firsts for our athletes.
Adille Sumariwalla, Chairman (N&IR) of the Athletics Federation of India, said, “We could not have a better role model than Neeraj Chopra to inspire the next generation of Indian athletes and we are pleased to partner with Neeraj and JSW Sports to present the best of our sport to the Indian public. 2025 will be an exciting year for Indian athletics with two Continental Tour meetings being held in our country.”
–IANS
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