The 2016 Olympic javelin silver medallist Julius Yego is set to flex muscles with the world’s finest throwers at the inaugural Neeraj Chopra Classic in Bengaluru, India, on May 24, seeking to fine-tune his form for the Tokyo World Championships.
Named after India’s Olympic and World champion Neeraj Chopra, the meet is a high-profile World Athletics Continental Tour Gold event — the highest tier ever hosted on Indian soil.
It is designed to spotlight the spear-throwing discipline and ignite a lasting athletics culture in the country.
The competition has so far attracted a star-studded cast.
Yego will be aiming to test his mantle against the World best as he gears up for the Tokyo World Championships in September.
Nicknamed “Mr. YouTube”, Yego has already qualified for the Tokyo extravaganza with an 87.72m throw from the Paris Olympic Games, where he placed fifth.
Among the big names expected to headline the Bengaluru showdown is the host nation’s hero, Chopra, who opened his 2025 campaign in style with a winning 84.52m throw at the Potch Invitational Meet in South Africa on April 16.
South Africa’s Douw Smit (82.44m) and Duncan Robertson (71.22m) followed in second and third, respectively. Also confirmed for Bengaluru is Grenadian Olympic bronze medallist Anderson Peters, who will be making his second appearance of the season after winning the Grenada Championships in March with a modest 74.90m.
Right after the Bengaluru meet, Peters will be coming to Nairobi for the Kip Keino Classic, having already been confirmed earlier.
Rio 2016 Olympic champion Thomas Rohler of Germany brings more firepower to the field, marking his comeback meet after last competing at the 2024 German Championships, where he threw 76.84m to finish runner-up.
The competition line-up is further bolstered by 2023 Pan American champion Curtis Thompson of the USA, Japan’s Genki Dean, Brazil’s Luiz Mauricio da Silva and Sri Lanka’s national record-holder Rumesh Pathirage.
While speaking to the Star earlier, the 2014 Commonwealth champion revealed he plans to feature in several Diamond League and Continental Tour meets to fine-tune his form ahead of Tokyo.
“In technical events, you need to compete, not very much, but you need to compete before the major events. My plan this year is to appear in the Diamond League and also in continental tour events. The target is to feature in six events before the big showdown in Tokyo," Yego said.
His ambitions for Tokyo will be to replicate his big throw from the Beijing World Championships in 2015 when he got a massive throw of 92.72m to set a then World lead and the African record, which still stands to date.
“I think when we go to Asia, as Kenyans, we do so well. I won in 2015 and now the Championships are in 2025, my lucky number is five, so I am going for it this year,” Yego revealed.
After Bengaluru, Yego will return home for the Kip Keino Classic in Nairobi on May 31 — a meet where he’s seeking redemption after an ankle injury cut short his appearance last year. Latvia’s Gatis Cakss (81.74m), Rohler (80.62m), and Belgian Timothy Herman (79.94m) occupied the podium in Yego’s absence at the 2024 edition.
