India’s Olympic star Neeraj Chopra recently made an unexpected but heartwarming remark about former Australian fast bowler Brett Lee, suggesting that Lee could have excelled as a javelin thrower. Speaking during an interview with JioStar, the official broadcaster of the Neeraj Chopra Classic 2025, the silver medallist from the 2024 Paris Olympics praised Lee’s athleticism.
“I have heard that Brett Lee was a javelin thrower. I think he could throw the javelin well, especially when he was in his peak years,” said Neeraj, who has also recently won titles at both the Paris Diamond League and the Ostrava Golden Spike.
😂 I did throw the javelin back at my schooling days, but nowhere near what Neeraj does & continues to do.
Very tough on the elbow. I have however admired what this fine athlete can do and wish him well 🔥 🥇 https://t.co/fbbpKzd4bj— @BrettLee_58 (@BrettLee_58) June 30, 2025
Brett Lee responds with admiration and honesty
The former Australian pacer took notice of Chopra’s comments and responded warmly on X (formerly Twitter).
“I did throw the javelin back in my schooling days, but nowhere near what Neeraj does & continues to do,” Lee posted.
He further explained why he didn’t continue with javelin:“Very tough on the elbow. I have, however, admired what this fine athlete can do and wish him well.”
Adding a light and playful tone to the exchange, Lee shared his interest in revisiting the sport—with a twist: “I would like to try javelin with Jasprit Bumrah too, and hope he teaches me some bowling skills. While bowling and javelin are both throws, they are very different. I would like to learn from Bumrah,” he said.
Neeraj Chopra Classic 2025 is scheduled to take place on 5 July in Bengaluru.
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