Kishore Jena will compete in NC Classic

New Delhi

Kishore Jena, who won a silver medal in the Asian Games, will take part in the first-ever Neeraj Chopra Classic 2025. This javelin event will happen in Bengaluru on May 24. The announcement was made by the organisers through social media. Jena has the second-longest throw by an Indian and is one of only a few Indian throwers who have crossed 87 metres.

Jena has done well on the world stage. He finished in the top five at the 2023 World Championships. The main face of the event is Neeraj Chopra, who is both a double Olympic medal winner and the current world champion. This will be a special event because top javelin throwers from around the world will compete in India for the first time.

Jena will join Indian throwers Rohit Yadav, Sachin Yadav, and Sahil Silwal. The event is being arranged by Neeraj Chopra and JSW Sport with help from the Athletics Federation of India and World Athletics. It is a one-day event and is a World Athletics ‘A’ category meet, which means it offers top ranking points.

Famous names like Anderson Peters from Grenada, Julius Yego from Kenya, and Curtis Thompson from the USA will also take part. Others include Thomas Rohler from Germany, Genki Dean from Japan, Luiz Mauricio da Silva from Brazil, and Rumesh Pathirage from Sri Lanka.

The NC Classic 2025 will also help athletes qualify for the World Championships in Tokyo. Neeraj Chopra, already qualified, will be the event's biggest attraction.