Javelin aces Arshad Nadeem, Neeraj Chopra to clash in Poland next month

Published
0
A combination photo showing Olympic javelin champion Arshad Nadeem and Indian javelin star Neeraj Chopra. — Reuters
A combination photo showing Olympic javelin champion Arshad Nadeem and Indian javelin star Neeraj Chopra. — Reuters

Pakistan’s Olympic javelin champion Arshad Nadeem and India’s Neeraj Chopra are set to lock horns next month at the Diamond League event in Silesia, Poland, in their first head-to-head contest since the Paris Olympics, it emerged on Saturday.

The match-up comes amid heightened political tensions between Pakistan and India, which have spilt over into the world of sports.

A press release from the Diamond League, issued on July 9, announced the athletes taking part in the upcoming competition in Poland, including Kenyan middle-distance runner Faith Kipyegon.

The contest between Nadeem and Chopra was described as “the first opportunity for revenge after the Paris Olympics”.

“The Pakistani’s form remains something of a mystery, as he rarely appears on the European circuit,” the press release read. “The exception he will make on August 16 results from his desire to face Chopra.”

The press release noted that Chopra threw 90 metres this spring, adding that he is “yearning for more”. Last week, Chopra headlined the ‘Neeraj Chopra Classic’ — billed as India’s inaugural world-class field competition — and walked away with another gold medal.

In May, Nadeem threw a massive 86.4m to win gold in the men’s javelin final at the Asian Athletics Championship in Gumi, South Korea.

A day before an April 22 terrorist attack in occupied Kashmir, Chopra had announced that the world’s top throwers, including Nadeem, had been invited to the first Neeraj Chopra Classic. However, the attack in Kashmir prompted heavy criticism of Chopra’s decision to invite Nadeem.

Nadeem ultimately did not attend the event.

Opinion

Editorial

Kashmir unresolved
Updated 30 Sep, 2026

Kashmir unresolved

The just solution lies in India addressing the issue through a trilateral dialogue involving the legitimate representatives of the Kashmiri people and Pakistan.
Water shortage
30 Sep, 2026

Water shortage

THAT the country is entering the Rabi season with an anticipated water shortage of nearly 25pc, the lowest carryover...
Young hearts
30 Sep, 2026

Young hearts

THE observance may have passed, but the message of World Heart Day should not fade with it. The occasion is a useful...
Terror and politics
Updated 29 Sep, 2026

Terror and politics

There is an urgent need to tone down the rhetoric and tackle terrorism as a collective challenge for both the affected provinces and the federation.
Watching the glaciers
29 Sep, 2026

Watching the glaciers

THE latest signs from Pakistan’s mountains are worrying. Suparco says the number of unfrozen glacial lakes it...
Dangerous agenda
29 Sep, 2026

Dangerous agenda

AS the world remains fixated on the US-Iran conflict, elsewhere in the Middle East, Israel is consolidating its grip...