Neeraj Chopra Dominates Inaugural NC Classic with 86.18m Throw, Clinches Title on Home Soil

India's golden boy of athletics, Neeraj Chopra, stamped his authority once again by winning the inaugural edition of the Neeraj Chopra Classic held at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru.

The Tokyo Olympic gold medallist thrilled the home crowd with a top throw of 86.18 meters, which came in his third attempt, securing him the gold in this elite World Athletics 'A' category event.

Neeraj started off on a cautious note, recording a foul with his opening throw. However, the 27-year-old bounced back strongly in his second attempt, comfortably crossing the 80-meter mark to regain momentum. It was in his third effort that he truly announced himself, launching the javelin to a distance of 86.18 meters - the best of the evening - which catapulted him to the top of the leaderboard.

Sri Lanka's Rumesh Pathirage had earlier set the pace with a strong 84.34-meter throw, temporarily holding the lead. But Neeraj's third attempt eclipsed that mark and established him as the frontrunner. Despite a second foul in his fourth throw, the Indian star remained unfazed. He followed it up with an 84.07-meter effort in the fifth round, underlining his consistency and control under pressure.

Kenya's Julius Yego, a former world champion, pushed hard and delivered his season-best throw of 84.51 meters to claim second place. Meanwhile, Pathirage had to settle for third, despite his earlier lead.

Neeraj wrapped up his evening with a final throw of 82.22 meters, enough to secure a comfortable win and mark a memorable return to action on Indian soil. This victory holds special significance as it comes in a tournament named after him, one that aims to inspire the next generation of Indian track and field athletes.

The Neeraj Chopra Classic wasn't just a competition-it was a celebration of Indian athletics, and fittingly, its biggest icon rose to the occasion.