Arshad Nadeem and Neeraj Chopra set for javelin showdown in Tokyo

TOKYO: India’s Neeraj Chopra and Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem will face off for the ultimate javelin gold at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo next week, adding more fuel to a rivalry that’s grown more intense since the countries’ recent military clash.

The stage is set for a high-stakes showdown in the men’s javelin final, where two of the sport’s rising stars – India’s Tokyo Olympic gold medalist Neeraj Chopra and Pakistan’s newly crowned Paris Olympic champion Arshad Nadeem – will battle for supremacy.

Also read: Arshad Nadeem to face Neeraj Chopra at World Championship in Tokyo

For the first time since their countries locked horns in a brief but deadly conflict in May, Chopra and Nadeem will meet on the world stage, the tension between their nations casting a shadow over their once-friendly rivalry.

Chopra, the reigning World Champion, and Nadeem, who took gold in Paris with a Games-record throw of 92.97 meters, have previously praised each other’s skills, often referring to their relationship as that of “brothers” despite the political divide.

Nadeem’s mother, Raziah Parveen, was quick to congratulate Chopra after his silver medal performance in Tokyo, saying, “Winning and losing is part of sport, but they are like brothers.” Chopra’s mother, Saroj, even expressed pride in Nadeem’s victory, saying, “He is also our boy,” reflecting the goodwill shared between the athletes and their families. That was until recent tensions flared.

After the May military conflict, in which more than 70 people died in missile strikes and artillery fire, both Chopra and Nadeem have distanced themselves from the emotional ties that once defined their friendship.

“We were never really close friends,” said Chopra, making it clear that, while he respects Nadeem’s talent, the personal bond had been strained by the political climate. Nadeem, too, kept things professional, commenting, “When he won, I congratulated him, and when I won, he returned the same courtesy. It’s part of the game.”

Their rivalry has taken on a more competitive edge as both athletes chase glory on the world stage. Nadeem, who underwent calf surgery in July, is gearing up for his first major competition since winning the Asian Athletics Championships in May. Meanwhile, Chopra, who trained under Czech javelin legend Jan Zelezny, has been in superb form, hitting a career-high throw of 90.23 meters in Doha earlier this year.

However, things got even more complicated earlier this year when Chopra invited Nadeem to compete in his ‘Neeraj Chopra Classic’ javelin event in India. Nadeem declined, citing a clash with his training schedule, and the invitation was ultimately rescinded after the deadly attack on Hindu tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir in April. The attack, which India attributed to Pakistan-based militants, sparked a renewed diplomatic spat between the two nations.

Also read: Arshad Nadeem wins gold medal at Asian Athletics Championships

The drama around their potential rivalry has only added more intrigue to their javelin duel in Tokyo, as both athletes prepare to give it their all in a highly charged atmosphere. Chopra, who won the world title in Budapest in 2023, remains one of the favorites heading into the World Championships, with two-time World Champion Anderson Peters of Grenada and Germany’s Julian Weber also in the mix.

The men’s javelin final will take place on September 18.