Neeraj Chopra Looks To Add Sheen To Vastly Superior Record Against Arshad Nadeem At World Championships

Indian javelin throw ace Neeraj Chopra will go up against Arshad Nadeem of Pakistan, yet again, in the final of his event at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, Japan, on Thursday as the 27-year-old double Olympic medallist looks to defend his title.

Chopra and Nadeem have lined up ten times in the past, with the Indian emerging victorious on nine occasions, while Nadeem has triumphed just once.

Pakistan’s Nadeem, who edged Chopra to the Olympic gold at Paris 2024, will be part of the final field seeking his maiden World Title.

Chopra aims to make history by becoming just the third athlete to successfully defend his crown, following Czech coach Jan Zelenzy and Anderson Peters of Grenada.

This event will also mark the first time the Indo-Pak rivals go head-to-head since the Olympic finals, due to strained relations between the nations following unprompted attacks on India by its neighbour.

Head-To-Head

South Asian Games 2016, Guwahati

Chopra- 82.23m, 1st place

Nadeem- 78.33m, 3rd place

Asian Junior Championships 2016, Ho Chi-Minh

Chopra- 77.60m, 2nd place

Nadeem- 73.40m, 3rd place

World U20 Athletics Championships 2016, Bydgoszcz

Chopra- 86.48m, 1st place

Nadeem- 67.17m, 30th place

Asian Athletics Championships 2017, Bhubaneshwar

Chopra- 85.23m, 1st place

Nadeem- 78m, 7th place

Commonwealth Games 2018, Gold Coast

Chopra- 86.47m, 1st place

Nadeem- 76.02m, 8th place

Asian Games 2018, Jakarta

Chopra- 88.06m, 1st place

Nadeem- 80.75m, 3rd place

Tokyo 2020 Olympics

Chopra- 87.58m, 1st place

Nadeem- 84.62m, 5th place

World Athletics Championships 2022, Oregon

Chopra- 88.13m, 2nd place

Nadeem- 86.16m, 5th place

World Athletics Championships 2023, Budapest

Chopra- 88.17m, 1st place

Nadeem- 87.82m, 2nd place

Paris 2024 Olympics

Chopra- 89.45m, 2nd place

Nadeem- 92.97m, 1st place

Chopra advanced to the event final with a single successful attempt in the qualification round the previous day, surpassing the automatic qualification mark of 84.50m on his first try. His lone effort on Wednesday measured 84.80m, securing his spot in the final. Compatriot Sachin Yadav also qualified with a throw of 83.67m, while Rohit Yadav and Yashvir Singh did not advance to the championship round.

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