India to Host Global Javelin Event Headlined by Neeraj Chopra, Eyes 2029 World Championships
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India is set to host a global javelin competition headlined by Olympic gold and silver medalist Neeraj Chopra, the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) announced during its Annual General Meeting (AGM) on Tuesday. The event, likely scheduled for September, will feature the top 10 javelin throwers from around the world in a prestigious invitation-only tournament. The competition is being organized in collaboration with Neeraj Chopra, JSW Sports, a foreign firm, and the AFI, marking a significant milestone for athletics in the country.
The event reflects India’s growing interest in javelin, a sport that gained immense popularity after Neeraj Chopra’s historic gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics on August 7, now celebrated annually as National Javelin Day. Outgoing AFI president Adille Sumariwalla emphasized the tournament’s importance, stating, “This competition is being created because there is so much interest in javelin.”
In addition to the javelin event, India has expressed its intention to host several marquee global athletics events in the coming years. The AFI has submitted expressions of interest to host the 2028 World Junior Championships, 2029 World Championships, and the 2027 World Relays. These bids underline India’s ambitions to establish itself as a major hub for international athletics. The AFI also hinted at the possibility of hosting a World Half Marathon in the near future.
Sumariwalla confirmed that the bidding process for these global events is underway. “We have put in our expression of interest, and the process has started. India will bid for all of them,” he said. India has already hosted a World Half Marathon Championship in New Delhi in 2004 and will hold a World Athletics Continental Tour bronze-level event in Bhubaneswar on August 10, 2025. This will be India’s first global track-and-field meet since the international permit meets of the late 1980s and early 1990s.
The Continental Tour bronze-level event is part of an annual series of international competitions organized by World Athletics. It forms the second tier of global athletics meets, below the elite Diamond League. Hosting such events is a strategic move in line with India’s aspirations to bid for the 2026 Olympics, demonstrating the country’s readiness to organize major sporting events on the global stage.
In a related development, Bahadur Singh Sagoo, a former Asian Games gold medalist in shot put, was elected unopposed as the new AFI president. His leadership will be critical as India continues to push for hosting high-profile international events while nurturing homegrown talent and raising the profile of athletics nationwide.
