'Tokyo Call!': Neeraj Chopra Set For Arshad Nadeem Rematch At World Athletics Championships

Indian javelin throw ace Neeraj Chopra and Pakistan’s reigning Olympic champion Arshad Nadeem, who haven’t come up against each other since the Paris Olympics, are set for a rematch at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo.

Chopra will spearhead the 19-member Indian challenge at the spectacle scheduled to be held between the 13th and 21st of September.

Nadeem edged out Chopra to the gold medal at the Olympic quadrennial showpiece in Paris last year with a mammoth 92.97m throw, and the duo haven’t been part of the same field ever since.

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After more than a year, the stage is set for a showdown in Tokyo between Olympic and world champions.

The 27-year-old Chopra will compete in the men’s javelin event as a wild card entrant, being the defending champion. He has consistently surpassed the 85.50m direct qualifying mark during the qualifying period.

Nadeem, 28, secured his place by throwing 86.40m to win gold at the Asian Championships in South Korea in May. This was his only competition since the Paris Olympics final. The Pakistani athlete underwent calf muscle surgery in England in July.

The men’s javelin qualifying round for the world championships is scheduled for September 17, with the final the following day.

Originally, the rivals were to face off at the Diamond League Meeting in Silesia, Poland, on August 16, but both withdrew after initially confirming their participation. Nadeem missed all four DL meetings featuring men’s javelin this year, while Chopra competed in two and finished second in the Diamond League Finals in Zurich on August 28.

Three other Indians—Sachin Yadav, Yashvir Singh, and Rohit Yadav—will also participate in the event in Tokyo, making India the country with the highest number of men’s javelin throwers.

With Nadeem’s anticipated return, the men’s javelin event in Tokyo promises to showcase the best athletes in the field. Diamond League Trophy winner Julian Weber of Germany enters as the favourite, having achieved three 90m-plus throws this year, including a world-leading 91.51m while winning the DL Trophy in Zurich.

Chopra’s 90.23m throw, his career-first 90m-plus effort, while finishing second in the Doha DL in May, ranks third in the season’s top performances.

Other notable competitors include two-time world champion Anderson Peters of Grenada, Julius Yego of Kenya, and Keshorn Walcott of Trinidad and Tobago. Brazilian Luiz Mauricio Da Silva, who threw 91m last month, is also a podium contender.

Jakub Vadlejch, 34, of the Czech Republic, who won silver at the Tokyo Olympics and bronze at the 2023 World Championships, will compete despite participating in just two events this year, with a season-best of 82.33m.

Chopra’s last event was the DL Finals in Zurich on August 28, where he finished second to Weber with a throw of 85.01m. This season, he won titles at the Paris Diamond League, Ostrava Golden Spike, and the NC Classic in Bengaluru.

In the 2023 edition, four Indians qualified, but Rohit had to withdraw due to injury. Chopra won gold with an 88.17m throw, while Kishore Jena and DP Manu finished fifth and sixth, marking a historic achievement with three Indians in the men’s javelin finals.