Taking on dual roles as both athlete and organiser, Olympic gold medallist Neeraj Chopra on Friday said he feels a strong sense of responsibility in hosting the inaugural Neeraj Chopra Classic on a grand scale — a goal he believes is already being realised.

“As both an athlete and an organiser, I felt it was my responsibility to host it on a grand scale and I believe we are achieving that successfully. The audience can look forward to witnessing some great competition tomorrow,” said Chopra to PTI.

Neeraj Chopra Classic is a first of its kind athletic event and the javelin star is an organiser as well as competitor.

The tournament is set to start on Saturday, July 6 at Bengaluru’s Kanteerva Stadium. Initially scheduled for May 24, the event was deferred due to the India-Pakistan conflict, with security considerations and national solidarity being key factors in the postponement.

Chopra is already a favourite for the tournament but he said that this doesn’t excite him as much as the aspect of giving other Indians a chance at competing at the highest level.

“I have already qualified. This event will be very helpful for Indian athletes who are currently in the rankings. It is an A-category event, and I thank World Athletics for making it possible,” Chopra said.

Neeraj Chopra arrives at the NC Classic on the back of a dominant performance at the Paris Diamond League 2025, where he clinched first place. He commenced his 2025 season at the Doha DL, where he achieved the coveted 90m feat for the first time in his illustrious career.

The Indian javelin superstar further extended his winning streak by securing victory at the Ostrava Golden Spike athletic event.

The event is slated to host 12 of the world's elite javelin throwers, including the likes of Paris Olympics silver medalist Anderson Peters and former World Champion from Kenya’s Julius Yego.

Thomas Rohler from Germany and Brazillian Luiz Mauricio Da Silva are other top competitors. Beyond Chopra, other Indians slated to participate are Sachin Yadav, Rohit Yadav, Sahil Silwal and Yashvir Singh.

The event will be telecast live on Star Sports and JioHotstar on July 5th at 7pm. Tickets for this blockbuster event are available for purchase on District by Zomato.