Bengaluru, July 05, 2025 (ANI): World Athletics Vice President Adille Sumariwalla on July 05 hailed the inaugural Neeraj Chopra Classic 2025 and said that Olympic gold medallist javelin star is “best athlete India has ever produced”. “He absolutely deserves it. He is the best athlete India has ever produced. Before and after Independence, he is the only person to have 2 gold medals in World Championships and Olympic games, 2 silver medals in World Championships and Olympic games and others. He has a world record in Juniors World Championship. There isn't a greater athlete than him…I am absolutely delighted that we are having this Neeraj Chopra Classic...,” said Adille Sumariwalla.
00:00He absolutely deserves it. He's the best athlete India has ever, ever produced. Before independence, after independence, the only person to have won two gold medals, world championship and Olympic games, two silver medals, world championship and Olympic games, one Asian Games, Asian athletics, Commonwealth Games, world record in the juniors world championship.
00:27There isn't a greater athlete than him. And, uh, we keep talking about a lot of athletes in the past, like Kasha Bajadav and all, but what has this boy done? Nobody, you'll have not realized what he has done for this country. We keep talking about one bronze medal year and one fourth place there.
00:46This, this boy is something phenomenal and I'm absolutely delighted that we are having this, uh, Neera Chopra classic, uh, which was envisaged when I was president.
00:58And I'm happy to see that it's actually seen the light of day today. And that's why I'm here.
01:04Uh, especially talking about, did you ever realize that you'll have an athlete in your wings under whom a tournament will be named under?
01:10Why not? Why not? See, you have to, you have to think big, you have to make sure that your vision is there, but the path is important that you go step by step.
01:25So what has happened is everybody has a vision. If, and if they do have a vision, they don't look at the path. They want to jump to the vision on day one.
01:36And that's the problem we have. So we've had a vision and we've envisaged great things. And I think, uh, like I keep saying that this is only the beginning and wait and see in the next five to seven years where Indian athletics will be because the foundation we've laid is so strong.
