Bengaluru:

However, Nadeem had revealed that he wouldn’t be able to participate in the event as the dates of the Neeraj Chopra Classic clash with the dates of the Asian Athletics Championship. The competition will take place from May 27-31, and the Pakistani Javelin Thrower Nadeem has stated that he will leave for South Korea on May 22.

The Neeraj Chopra Classic event is all set to be held on May 24, and the fans will get to see some of the elite athletes of the world in action. It will be a star-studded field for the competition, and Neeraj was getting a lot of praise for his initiative to bring the world’s best to the country. He had also invited Arshad Nadeem for the prestigious event.

Arshad’s decision came after the Pahalgam terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir. The responsibility of the attack is claimed by the Resistance Front, an offshoot of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba, according to the media reports.

In the aftermath of the attack, Neeraj’s decision to extend an invitation stirred controversy, but the star javelin thrower took to social media to clarify his side. He revealed that he has been at the receiving end of abuse from social media users, and his family is also being abused for the same.

“I usually am a man of few words, but that doesn’t mean I will not speak up against what I think is wrong. More so when it comes to questioning my love for our country, and the respect and honour of my family,” he posted on his ‘X’ handle.

“There has been so much talk about my decision to invite Arshad Nadeem to compete in the Neeraj Chopra Classic, and most of it has been hate and abuse. They haven’t even left my family out of it. The invitation I extended to Arshad was from one athlete to another — nothing more, nothing less. The aim of the NC Classic was to bring the best athletes to India and for our country to be the home of world-class sporting events. Invites had gone out to all athletes on Monday, two days before the terrorist attacks at Pahalgam.”

The Indian star’s upcoming event will feature two-time world champion Anderson Peters, and he will also be joined by Julius Yego and Thomas Rohler.

The Neeraj Chopra Classic is co-organised by JSW Sports, AFI and WA. The event will be held at the Kanteevera Stadium in Bengaluru and was originally scheduled to be held in Panchkula, but was shifted due to floodlight issues.

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