Neeraj and world's best for India javelin fest

India is set to host a high-profile global javelin competition in September, featuring double Olympic medallist Neeraj Chopra and the world's top 10 javelin throwers, the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) announced on Tuesday.

The event underscores the growing interest in javelin in India, where August 7 is celebrated as National Javelin Day to mark Chopra’s historic Olympic gold in Tokyo.

This event is in addition to a slew of competitions India has expressed its interest to host, including the marquee 2029 World Championships.

Outgoing AFI president Adille Sumariwalla confirmed that India has expressed interest to host the 2029 World Championships, as well as the 2027 World Relays. The AFI has already submitted its expression of interest to host the 2028 World Junior Championships when the international body chief Sebastian Coe visited the country in November last.

"There will be a top javelin competition in India in which the top-10 javelin throwers in the world will compete. This will be an invitation tournament to be held later this year," Sumariwalla, whose 12-year tenure as AFI chief ended on Tuesday, said on the first day of the AFI Annual General Meeting (AGM).

"Neeraj

Chopra will be there. He is part of the team that is organising the event, along with JSW, a foreign firm and the AFI are together creating this competition. This is being done as there is so much interest in javelin with August 7 -- when Chopra won the Tokyo Olympics gold -- being observed as National Javelin Day."

Sumariwalla added that the event is most likely to be held in September.

Just before the start of the AGM, 2002 Asian Games shot put gold medallist Bahadur Singh Sagoo was elected unopposed as the new AFI chief.

Talking about the big global events India is hoping to host in the next four years, Sumariwalla said, "Bids are open at the moment for (2028) World Junior Championships, 2029 World Championships, World Relays (2027) and India is going to bid for all of them. We have put in our expression of interest and so the process has started."

"We might also do a World Half Marathon," he said.

India will also host a World Athletics Continental Tour bronze-level event in Bhubaneswar on August 10, its first global meet since the 2004 World Half Marathon Championships in New Delhi.

The AFI's efforts are part of a broader push to host marquee events, including a potential bid for the 2026 Olympics.