Neeraj Chopra is widely admired for his humility and grounded nature, despite his immense success as a javelin thrower. The double Olympic-medallist on Friday showed his generous and compassionate side, surprising a fan with an all-expense paid trip to watch the Neeraj Chopra Classic, to be held in Bengaluru next week.
Ranjith Kumar Ravichandran, who hails from Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu, posted a request on 'X', seeking financial assistance of Rs 2,000 to travel to Bengaluru and watch India’s first-ever World Athletics Category ‘A’ Javelin competition headlined by Chopra.
"If anyone sponsor me 2000 rupees, I can go to watch this from Coimbatore," Ranjith posted on the microblogging site on June 25.
Much to his surprise, Neeraj responded to the request and took it upon himself to fund Ranjith Kumar's trip.
“Hi, Ranjith. You’ve got a full VVIP experience waiting for you in Bengaluru because your trip to the NC Classic is on me!," his reply read.
The ace javelin thrower added that Ranjith Kumar had a room reserved for him at Radisson Hotels, one of the partners of the event.
The kind gesture instantly went viral on social media platforms, garnering many likes and shares, with some commenting Neeraj's act captured the spirit of the NC Classic, which looks to elevate India's status in the global athletics landscape.
The 27-year-old Neeraj has been making the most of his purple patch so far this season. He kickstarted the 2025 season at the Doha Diamond League with a second-place finish by clearing 90m for the first time in his career.
He won the Paris Diamond League 2025 before taking home the title at the Ostrava Golden Spike meet in Czech Republic a couple of days ago.
The Neeraj Chopra Classic will take place at the Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru on July 5. It will feature former world champions Anderson Peters and Julius Yego apart from 2016 Olympic winner Thomas Roehler and American Curtis Thompson among others.
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