Neeraj Chopra and Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem will battle for javelin gold in Tokyo subsequent week, the newest chapter in a brotherly rivalry which has soured since a lethal navy battle between their nations.
The Tokyo Olympic champion, Chopra, and his successor in Paris, Nadeem, will line up on the athletics world championships for his or her first encounter because the nuclear-armed neighbours engaged in a four-day battle in Might, their worst since 1999.
Chopra, who took Olympic silver behind his nice rival a yr in the past, had typically spoken about his pleasant relations with Nadeem regardless of the tensions between their nations.
After Nadeem received gold and Chopra stood alongside him on the rostrum in Paris, Nadeem’s mom Raziah Parveen mentioned: “Profitable and dropping is a part of sport, however they’re like brothers.”
Chopra’s mom Saroj mentioned she took some solace in Nadeem beating her son as a result of the Pakistani “can be our boy”.
However publicly not less than that modified after the battle, with high-profile figures from each nations underneath strain to distance themselves from the opposite aspect.
The 27-year-old Chopra, who will defend his world title in Tokyo, mentioned that they have been “by no means actually shut associates”.
Nadeem, 28, additionally performed down any friendship with Chopra.
“When he received, I congratulated him, and after I received the gold, he returned the identical courtesy,” Nadeem instructed AFP by phone en path to Tokyo.
“(Simply as) in wrestling, one wrestler wins and the opposite loses — it’s a part of the sport.”
Invitation withdrawn
Nadeem, who’s returning to competitors after calf surgical procedure in July, hails from a farming village.
He turned an in a single day sensation when he gave Pakistan their first Olympic gold in 40 years with a Video games-record throw of 92.97m.
Nadeem has competed solely as soon as since Paris, successful the Asian Athletics Championships in South Korea in Might when Chopra didn’t take part.
The final time the pair clashed was on the Paris Olympics.
In April, the Indian star invited Nadeem to India for his ‘Neeraj Chopra Basic’ javelin occasion however the Pakistani declined, saying it clashed along with his coaching schedule.
Chopra then withdrew the invitation after an assault in Pahalgam on April 22 killed 26 folks.
“I need to make clear that I don’t have a very sturdy relationship with Nadeem, we have been by no means actually shut associates,” Chopra mentioned afterwards.
“However due to the present scenario, issues won’t be as they have been. That mentioned, if somebody speaks to me with respect, I at all times reply in variety.”
Positive type
Chopra turned a nationwide hero in India after his Tokyo gold, incomes million-dollar endorsement offers along with his boyish allure, altering hairstyles and infectious smile.
He received the world title in Budapest in 2023 and has been in high quality type since becoming a member of Czech javelin nice Jan Zelezny’s teaching group forward of the 2025 season.
He went previous 90m for the primary time when he threw 90.23m on the Doha Diamond League assembly in Might, however completed second to German Julian Weber.
On the Zurich Diamond League final month, Weber as soon as once more stood on high of the rostrum, with a throw of 91.51m. Chopra was second with 85.01m.
Together with Weber, additionally in Tokyo might be two-time world champion Anderson Peters of Grenada.
The world championships begin on Saturday (September 13, 2025), with the lads’s javelin closing on September 18.
Printed – September 11, 2025 08:48 am IST
