NC Classic Will Become a Major Event in the Future: World Athletics VP Adille Sumariwalla

Bengaluru — World Athletics Vice President Adille Sumariwalla believes that the upcoming Neeraj Chopra Classic 2025 is just the beginning, predicting that both the event and India’s stature in global athletics will grow significantly in the coming years.

The Neeraj Chopra Classic, sanctioned by the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) and co-organized by two-time Olympic medalist Neeraj Chopra, has drawn elite athletes from around the world. This marks India’s first-ever international javelin competition, set to take place at Bengaluru's Sree Kanteerava Stadium on Saturday.

"It’s a fantastic platform. Everyone should come and witness some of the world’s best throwers. Neeraj is not only an icon in India but also globally. He has worked incredibly hard and achieved a lot. His success, awards, and victories make him a role model for all," Sumariwalla told IANS.

"This is just a small beginning. This event will grow into something much bigger in the future. We have the Continental Tour coming up, we’re bidding for the World Championships, the World Junior Championships—there’s a lot happening in the next few years," added Sumariwalla, who is also a former president of the Athletics Federation of India.

Recently, a high-level Indian delegation led by Gujarat Sports Minister Harsh Sanghavi and Indian Olympic Association (IOA) President P.T. Usha visited Lausanne, Switzerland, to explore India’s prospects of hosting the Olympic and Paralympic Games in the future.

Sumariwalla expressed optimism about India’s Olympic ambitions while addressing concerns such as doping in Indian sports. He explained that the high number of doping cases is actually a reflection of effective testing, not necessarily a weakness.

"Bidding for the Olympics is not simple. But India has a population of 1.5 billion, with 65% of that under the age of 35—imagine the strength of India’s youth. Why shouldn't the Olympics come here? But yes, we need to work internally. We need better governance, a comprehensive sports bill, and to address internal challenges, including doping," he said.

On the doping front, he remarked, "If we’re seeing high doping numbers, it’s because we are testing more people. The more you test, the more cheats you catch. We could lower the numbers by testing fewer people, but that’s not what we want. We want to catch the cheats, and that’s actually a positive sign if seen from the right perspective."

Sumariwalla also praised the recently approved National Sports Policy (NSP) 2025 by the Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The NSP 2025 is designed to reshape India’s sports ecosystem and position the country as a global sporting powerhouse, with aspirations including a successful bid for the 2036 Olympic Games.

"The new policy is excellent. The five pillars it highlights—excellence, sports science, infrastructure development, social upliftment, and building a sports industry—are much needed. The previous sports policy from 1985, revised in 2021, required an upgrade, and this new roadmap is timely and well-structured," Sumariwalla concluded.

With inputs from IANS