By Vivek Prabhakar Singh

Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], July 6 (ANI): India's javelin spearhead, Neeraj Chopra, has set his eyes on the World Athletics Championships after striking gold at the inaugural NC Classic 2025 here on Saturday, a competition named after him.

The Sri Kanteerava Outdoor Stadium, filled with thousands of fans, clapping in harmony when Neeraj took the javelin, sprinted down the track and aimed for glory. On a windy yet cool evening in Bengaluru, the 27-year-old heaved his javelin to a solid distance of 86.18m to walk away with the top honours before the night ended.

With another accolade in his cabinet, Neeraj will shift his focus to the World Athletics Championships scheduled to be held from September 13 to 21 in Tokyo, where he will strive hard to defend his title. In 2023, Neeraj produced one of the best performances of his career with a throw of 88.17m and took the gold medal home.

Before the competition, Neeraj aims to refine his technique by working with his coach, Jan Zelezny, to bolster his chances of retaining the crown.

'It is the biggest competition of this year, and we won gold last time in the World Championship. We will work hard to defend that title, and we have to work hard for that. I will work with my coach to improve my technique,' Neeraj told ANI.

In the Neeraj Chopra (NC) Classic 2025, there were plenty of 80m-plus throws as the javelin went left and right. Neeraj, too excited before his first throw, fouled the attempt and had to be calmed by his coach. In the end, even though it wasn't his best effort of 90.23m in Doha, Neeraj was pleased with his performance despite being conscious of the possibility of doing better.

'It was good. There was pressure. A lot of people turned up. I am happy with my performance. I could have thrown a better throw, but today, we did not have the conditions. Still, it feels very good that the competition was very good,' he added.

In front of an ebullient crowd, while Neeraj reigned supreme, Kenya's Julius Yego notched up his season best and settled for second with 84.51m. Sri Lanka's Rumesh Pathirage claimed the third position with a best throw of 84.34m. (ANI)