AFI dedicates Javelin competition to mark Neeraj Chopra’s Olympic gold medal

A national javelin competition will be held in all states on August 7 this year to celebrate the date of Neeraj Chopra’s historic Olympic gold medal, according to the Indian athletics calendar released on Saturday.

Neeraj Chopra became India’s first Olympics medallist in athletics and only the second Indian to win an individual Olympic gold with his throw of 87.58m at Tokyo 2020 on August 7, 2021.

The date was declared as National Javelin Day by the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) last year.

“We are keen to build on the attention that Neeraj Chopra’s gold medal in the Olympic Games has got for athletics in India,” AFI president Adille Sumariwalla said.

The 2022 Indian athletics season kicks off on February 26 with the Open Throws competition.

The 25-meet schedule includes six Indian Grand Prix events and the 25th Federation Cup, which will be held in Kozhikode, Kerala from April 2-6.

The Indian Open Race walking competition, originally scheduled for February 5 and February 6 but postponed due to COVID-19, will now be held on April 16 and April 17 in Ranchi, Jharkhand.

“The annual calendar has been designed to give our athletes every chance to qualify and prepare for international events like the World Championships, Commonwealth Games, and the Asian Games,” Sumariwalla, a former international sprinter, said.

Various district meets will be held between March 1-31 while state meets will be conducted between April 1-May 25. Some championships are also scheduled between August 1-30.