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Peters withdrew from the Neeraj Chopra Classic due to an ankle injury and will be replaced by Cyprian Mrzygłód. The event features 12 javelin throwers, including five Indians.
Champion thrower Anderson Peters. (AFP)
Two-time World Championship gold-medallist javelin thrower Anderson Peters withdrew from the Neeraj Chopra Classic on Tuesday due to an ankle injury, presenting another setback to the prestigious event.
The 27-year-old Grenadian, who secured a bronze medal behind Neeraj at last year’s Paris Olympics, will be replaced by Poland’s Cyprian Mrzygłód in the event scheduled for Saturday.
Mrzygłód, the 2019 European U23 champion, achieved his best throw of 84.97 metres during the event.
“Anderson Peters has been ruled out of the Neeraj Chopra Classic 2025 due to an ankle injury sustained during his last competition. Poland’s Cyprian Mrzygłód has been named as his replacement in the final lineup,” the organisers announced.
The event, organised by double Olympic medallist Neeraj Chopra in collaboration with JSW Sports and sanctioned by the Athletics Federation of India (AFI), features 12 javelin throwers, including five Indians, and has already seen three replacements.
Peters has had a long-standing rivalry with Chopra. The Grenadian successfully defended his World Championships title in 2022, defeating Neeraj with three throws over 90 metres. Peters also secured a silver medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, where Neeraj did not compete.
On Monday, Indian thrower Kishore Jena, also struggling with an ankle injury, withdrew from the NC Classic and was replaced by Yashvir Singh.
Earlier, on June 6, Poland’s Martin Konecny had replaced Asian Games bronze medallist Genki Dean of Japan.
What Is Neeraj Chopra Classic?
India’s first-ever international javelin competition, initially scheduled for May 24, was postponed due to military tensions between India and Pakistan.
The confirmed international lineup now includes Mrzygłód, Poland’s Martin Konecny, 2016 Olympic gold medallist Thomas Röhler (Germany), 2015 world champion Julius Yego (Kenya), Curtis Thompson (USA), Luiz Mauricio da Silva (Brazil), and Rumesh Pathirage (Sri Lanka).
The Indian contingent will feature Asian Championships silver medallist Sachin Yadav, Rohit Yadav, Sahil Silwal, Yashvir Singh, alongside Neeraj.
Granted Category A status by World Athletics, the event is considered a “dream project” of Chopra and aims to establish India as a credible host of elite-level athletics events.
With PTI Inputs
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