Arshad Nadeem’s formula for winning Olympic gold in Paris was simple. He set himself a goal, and God gave it.

The response was typical for the 28-year-old Pakistani, who made himself comfortable on a lobby couch at the athletes’ hotel for the World Athletics Championships, kicking off a slipper and tucking one foot under his thigh as he spoke about his win a year on.

The world is watching — albeit eclipsed by the cricket drama — whether Japan National Stadium will see scenes akin to Wagah Border: Arshad and Neeraj Chopra meeting in the middle but not quite; staring each other down at a distance close enough to be a hug that the brotherly duo may have once shared and may never do so again. Dare we compare the javelins to spears?

When asked about his current relationship with Neeraj, Arshad said they’ve had “chalte phirte salam dua [greetings here and there]” in the athletes’ hotel in Tokyo. He declined to give any analysis on the Pakistan-India tensions brewing back home. Neeraj has declined any interviews till after the javelin final on Thursday.

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