Neeraj Chopra Archives

Arshad Nadeem pens emotional note after World Athletics exit

TOKYO: Pakistan’s Javelin ace Arshad Nadeem shared an emotional message after crashing out from the 2025 World Athletics Championships held here at the Japan National Stadium on Thursday.

Trinidad and Tobago’s Keshorn Walcott emerged victorious with a gold after sending the Javelin to the season’s best – 88.16m throw in his fourth attempt.

While Grenada’s Anderson Peters bagged silver with his throw of 87.38m in his second attempt, and USA Curtis Thompson took the bronze medal for his throw of 86.67m.

Meanwhile, Arshad Nadeem had two foul throws in his quota of four. He recorded his best throw at 82.75 meters to finish in tenth place.

His arch-rival and the reigning world champion, Neeraj Chopra, also struggled and finished eighth.

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After the final, Arshad Nadeem took to social media, thanking fans for their unwavering support.

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“Dear Pakistanis, I want to thank each and every one of you for your unwavering support and love throughout the World Athletics Championships. Although I couldn’t achieve the result I had hoped for in the final, I am proud to have represented our nation on the biggest stage,” he wrote on X.

“Your prayers, messages, and encouragement mean the world to me. I know I let you all down, but I promise to come back stronger and work even harder to make you proud,” he said.

The 28-year-old admitted that his calf injury, which required surgery in July, hampered his preparation.

For the unversed, Arshad underwent surgery in July due to the injury, initially ruling him out of the key events and halting his preparation for the mega event.

“To be honest, I’ve been dealing with an injury since July 4th, which affected my preparation and fitness level. Despite this challenge, I gave it my all, and I appreciate the experience.

Thank you for believing in me and supporting me on this journey. I will keep pushing myself to achieve greatness, not just for myself, but for our nation. With love and gratitude, Arshad Nadeem,” he concluded.

READ: Neeraj Chopra also fails to bag medal in World Athletics Championship

Pakistan-India showdown looms as javelin aces Nadeem, Chopra chase world gold

JAPAN: Pakistan’s Olympic gold medalist Arshad Nadeem and India’s javelin ace Neeraj Chopra will battle for gold in a potential final clash at the World Athletics Championship after the qualifying groups were announced on Tuesday.

Although both athletes have been placed in separate groups, there is an ample chance of a final showdown if they advance to the final.

This will be the first time since the 2024 Paris Olympics that Arshad and Neeraj are expected to compete against each other.

Arshad Nadeem is placed in Group B alongside Grenada’s Anderson Peters, whereas defending champions Neeraj Chopra are in Group A alongside Germany’s Julian Weber.

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The Qualifying round will commence at the National Stadium in Tokyo on Wednesday, September 17, with the final taking place on Thursday, September 18.

Arshad Nadeem’s qualifying round is scheduled to begin at 4:45 PM Pakistan Standard Time.

Javelin Throw Schedule

September 17, Wednesday Men’s javelin throw Qualification – Group A 3:10 PM

September 17, Wednesday Men’s javelin throw Qualification – Group B 4:45 PM

September 18, Thursday Men’s javelin throw Final 3:13 PM

World Athletics Championships 2025 Men’s Javelin Throw Start List

Qualifiers Group A: Julian Weber (GER), Neeraj Chopra (IND), Keshorn Walcott (TTO), Jakub Vadlejch (CZE), Cyprian Mrzygłód (POL), Lassi Etelätalo (FIN), Edis Matusevičius (LTU), Yuta Sakiyama (JPN), Sachin Yadav (IND), Marc Anthony Minichello (USA), Roderick Genki Dean (JPN), Dawid Wegner (POL), Leandro Ramos (POR), Sumedha Ranasinghe (SRI), Haoran Hu (CHN), Sindri Hrafn Guðmundsson (ISL), Billy Julio López (COL), Keyshawn Strachan (BAH), Pedro Henrique Rodrigues (BRA)

Qualifiers Group B: Arshad Nadeem (PAK), Anderson Peters (GRN), Julius Yego (KEN), Luiz Mauricio da Silva (BRA), Oliver Helander (FIN), Curtis Thompson (USA), Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage (SRI), Douw Smit (RSA), Artur Felfner (UKR), Simon Wieland (SUI), Marcin Krukowski (POL), Cameron McEntyre (AUS), Eemil Porvari (FIN), Yash Vir Singh (IND), Martin Konečný (CZE), Gen Naganuma (JPN), Rohit Yadav (IND), Lars Anthony Flaming (PAR)

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Neeraj Chopra admits distance with Arshad Nadeem after India-Pakistan escalation

DOHA: Neeraj Chopra, India’s Olympic gold medal-winning athlete, believes that the recent tensions between India and Pakistan will affect the bond he had with his counterpart from across the border, Arshad Nadeem

The tensions between India and Pakistan reached fever-pitch following an attack last month in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) town of Pahalgam that killed 26 tourists.

However, the situation returned to normal after an immediate ceasefire on 10 May, following days of deadly jet fighter, missile, drone, and artillery attacks.

While speaking to Al Jazeera, Neeraj Chopra emphasized the impact of the conflict between India and Pakistan, stating that his friendship with Nadeem would not return to how it was before the tensions.

“It will not be like it was before [the recent escalations],” he said.

Neeraj Chopra further shared insights on his bond with Arshad Nadeem, mentioning the respect they had for between them.

“I never had a very deep friendship with him, but we were always respectful towards each other,” said Chopra.

Despite the distance due to recent conflict, Chopra aims to maintain a respectful demeanour towards Arshad Nadeem.

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“I have a lot of friends in the athletics circuit since javelin throwers are a very small community,” Chopra said.

“I will always reciprocate the respect I receive from my fellow athletes,” he concluded.

It is pertinent to mention that both men’s javelin athletes have been recognized globally for overlooking the decades-old South Asian rivalry with their friendly interactions at international tournaments.

Neeraj Chopra also faced backlash for inviting Arshad Nadeem to the 24 May Classic javelin event in India following the Pahalgam attack.

Nadeem declined the extended invitation and cited his preparation for the upcoming Asian Athletics Championship in South Korea, slated to be held from 27 to 31 May.

The cross-border escalation led to the postponement of Chopra’s event. Before that, the 27-year-old Indian athlete released a statement on April 25, saying that Nadeem’s participation at the meet was “completely out of the question” following the Pahalgam attack.

However, it is not evident when both athletes will face each other as Arshad Nadeem is not participating at the Doha Diamond League, while Neeraj Chopra is set to skip the Asian Athletics Championships in South Korea.

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Arshad Nadeem declines Neeraj Chopra’s invitation for Bengaluru event: reports

Pakistan’s Olympic hero Arshad Nadeem has reportedly turned down an invitation from India’s golden boy Neeraj Chopra to participate in the inaugural Neeraj Chopra Classic, scheduled for May 24 in Bengaluru.

As per media reports, Nadeem expressed his gratitude in a formal letter to Chopra, acknowledging the gesture but declining the invitation due to a busy schedule.

“This year’s training and events have already been finalised, leaving no room for additional engagements,” Nadeem reportedly mentioned in his message.

He also wished the event great success and appreciated Chopra’s efforts to grow the sport globally.

The Neeraj Chopra Classic is expected to feature some of the biggest names in javelin, including world champions Anderson Peters and Julius Yego, 2016 Olympic gold medalist Thomas Röhler, and American thrower Curtis Thompson.

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Chopra, who won India’s first-ever Olympic gold in athletics at Tokyo 2020, is aiming to make the event an annual fixture to promote the sport regionally.

While fans were hoping to see another face-off between the two javelin icons, Arshad Nadeem is instead focused on his preparations for the Asian Athletics Championships in South Korea, set to begin on May 27.

Arshad and Neeraj have shared podiums and mutual respect over the years, with their rivalry peaking at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Arshad stunned the world at the Paris Olympics with a historic 92.97m throw to become the first Pakistani to win an individual Olympic gold medal, out-throwing the defending champion Chopra and setting a new Olympic record.

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Neeraj Chopra ‘not satisfied’ with silver at Paris Olympics

Indian athlete Neeraj Chopra expressed his profound disappointment at being unable to retain his gold medal in the javelin throw event at the Paris Olympics 2024.

Neeraj took the silver medal home, thanks to his 89.45 metre throw in his second attempt, while Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem created history by bagging the country’s first Olympic gold since 1984.

Arshad also set the Olympic record with a 92.97m throw, going past Norway’s Andreas Thorkildsen, who threw farthest at 90.57 during the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Neeraj expressed dissatisfaction with his performance and attributed his inability to secure another gold to recent injuries.

“I am happy that I could win a medal for my country, I’m not that satisfied with my performance today and also my technique and runway were not that good,” he said.

“The last two, three years were not so good. My injury concerns continued. and I have not been playing in enough competitions. I know I can throw 90m, but I have to do some more work.”

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Neeraj Chopra then lauded Arshad Nadeem and congratulated him for his historic victory.

“The moment Arshad threw 92m, I believed it might be possible and I tried my best, but it was just not my day. Arshad is fantastic,” he said.

“Arshad threw really well. Congratulations to him and his country.”

The Tokyo Olympics gold medallist shared that he will work hard and will rectify his mistakes to do better in future events.

“But I will work hard in the future. I have lots of work to do, and lots of mistakes to rectify. Today’s competition was really great,” he concluded.

For the unversed, before Arshad’s remarkable victory, Pakistan had never won an individual gold medal at the Olympics.

All of Pakistan’s previous three gold medals came in field hockey, with their team winning gold in 1960, 1968 and 1984.

Meanwhile, only two Pakistan athletes had won individual medals of any colour – with a wrestling bronze in 1960 and a boxing bronze in 1988.

Since the 1992 Barcelona Games, Pakistan has not won a medal of any kind.

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Neeraj Chopra’s mother reacts to Arshad Nadeem’s Paris Olympics victory

Indian athlete Neeraj Chopra’s mother, Saroj Devi, captured the hearts of fans across the border with her touching remarks about Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem, who defeated her son to win the gold medal in the javelin final of the Paris Olympics 2024.

Arshad Nadeem ended Pakistan’s 32-year medal drought in the Olympics after bagging a gold medal with the longest throw of 92.97 meters.

Arshad set the Olympic record with a 92.97m throw, going past Norway’s Andreas Thorkildsen, who threw farthest at 90.57 during the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

His throw was enough for him to seal the Gold medal, the first-ever individual gold medal in the Olympics for Pakistan.

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Meanwhile, Neeraj Chopra secured the silver medal with an 89.45m throw in his second attempt while all of his other attempts were deemed as “No Throw”.

However, Chopra’s mother was happy with her son’s performance and expressed satisfaction over the silver medal victory. She also stated that Arshad Nadeem is also her son and she is happy for his victory.

“I am happy with the silver, the guy who got gold (Arshad Nadeem) is also my child. Everyone goes there after doing a lot of hard work,” Neeraj Chopra’s mother Saroj Devi said.

Her words have been widely praised for their warmth and sportsmanship, serving as a reminder of the dedication and perseverance required in Olympic competitions.

Arshad failed to make a mark in his first attempt as it was deemed as “No Throw”.

Meanwhile, Indian rival also Neeraj Chopra failed to make a mark in his first attempt before he recovered with an 89.45m throw. His third attempt was also ruled out.

All 12 participants were to throw three times in the first stage, after which the top eight athletes had three more throws.

For the unversed, Arshad Nadeem qualified in the final round of the Javelin throw on Tuesday with an 86.59-meter throw in his first attempt during the qualification round.

READ: President & CEO ARY Digital Network Mr Salman Iqbal rewards Arshad Nadeem on winning Gold in Paris Olympics

Neeraj Chopra goes big to bag gold at Asian Games 2023

India’s star javelin thrower and Olympic gold medalist Neeraj Chopra produced a giant throw to strike gold at the Asian Games 2023 on Wednesday and cap a gruelling season, with Olympic high-jump champion Mutaz Essa Barshim joining him as a winner.

They were among seven titlists on day six of the track and field in Hangzhou with just the men’s and women’s marathons left on Thursday, concluding an event dominated by hosts China.

Reigning Olympic and world champion Neeraj Chopra was under pressure after teammate Kishore Kumar Jena produced a huge personal best of 86.77 metres, which he would later improve to 87.54m and eventual silver.

But Chopra responded emphatically with a season-best 88.88m to retain his Asian Games crown in style.

It was a massive statement and longer than the 88.17m that won him the world title at Budapest in August and the 87.58m that earned gold at the Tokyo Olympics.

“It feels great when we push each other to go farther and farther,” he said of competing with Kumar Jena.

His title defence opened controversially.

He hurled close to the 85m line on his first throw and pumped the air in celebration, but his score didn’t register and a lengthy delay followed.

Chopra eventually threw again, making 82.38m, then improved to 84.49m.

But Kumar Jena, who was fifth in Budapest, then produced his all-time best to put the pressure on, before Chopra hit back.

“I had some issues in the first throw. There may have been a technical problem or they may not have measured my first throw properly,” he said of the delay.

“This is the first time this has happened to me in a competition. The rule is for six throws, but I threw seven times.”

Neeraj Chopra’s job was made easier after his chief rival, Pakistan ace Arshad Nadeem, pulled out on Tuesday with a knee injury.

Kumar Jena was content to finish behind his “idol”.

“Keep watching, you will see more of us in the future too,” he warned.

Meanwhile, Qatar’s Barshim skipped the season-ending Diamond League event at Eugene last month to prepare to add to his 2010 and 2014 Asiad titles, and it paid dividends.

He entered on the fourth jump at 2.19m and it turned into a battle with South Korea’s Woo Sang-hyeok, who won the Diamond League in Eugene that Barshim skipped.

The Qatari prevailed, clearing a new Games record 2.35m with Woo unable to match it.

Barshim had extra motivation to get back on top after being shocked in Budapest by Italy’s Gianmarco Tamberi, who denied him a fourth consecutive title.

In other action, China’s Wang Chunyu was dethroned as women’s 800m champion by Sri Lanka’s Tharushi Karunarathna, who ran a storming 2:03.20.

It was enough to edge India’s Harmilan Bains with Wang taking bronze.

In contrast, Bahrain’s Birhanu Balew, who was sixth at the Tokyo Olympics, was a successful title defender with his 13:17.41 in the 5,000m, a new Games record.

India’s Avinash Sable, who won the 3,000m steeplechase, came second and fellow Bahraini Dawit Fikadu third.

Uzbekistan’s Sharifa Davronova was crowned triple jump champion with a new personal best of 14.09m. India won the men’s 4x400m relay and Bahrain took out the women’s race.

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Neeraj Chopra’s mother’s remarks about Arshad Nadeem win hearts

Star Indian Javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra’s mother downplayed the hype of her son triumphing over Pakistani athlete Arshad Nadeem in the World Athletics Championship.

Arshad Nadeem and Neeraj Chopra on Sunday made history as they became the first to win a silver and gold medal respectively in the World Athletics Championship.

Following his sensational run to capture the silver medal, Arshad Nadeem became the first athlete from Pakistan to achieve the feat in the World Athletics Championship while Neeraj Chopra became the first Indian to win a gold.

Arshad Nadeem secured the silver with his best throw in his third attempt which went at a distance of 87.82 meters.

His Indian counterpart Neeraj bagged India’s first gold medal at the World Athletics Championship with an 88.17m throw in his second attempt.

Neeraj Chopra’s remarkable achievement sent the masses across the border into immense jubilation but few of them ignited the India-Pakistan rivalry by drawing the comparison between the two athletes, who have, in many instances, displayed mutual respect.

Following her son’s record-breaking performance, Neeraj Chopra’s mother was interacting with the media and in the midst was asked about her emotions regarding Neeraj triumphing over Pakistan’s Arshad.

“How big of an achievement it was for Neeraj to defeat the Pakistani?” the reporter asked, to which she replied: “There is no division of countries on the field all players are equal.”

“In the field, everyone is an athlete, and someone has to win; it doesn’t matter if they are from Pakistan or from Haryana,” Neeraj Chopra’s mother said.

She further said: “It is a matter [Neeraj’s victory] of joy for me and I am happy for the Pakistani athlete as well.”

Neeraj Chopra’s mother’s befitting response to the journalist quickly went viral across social media platforms and fans from both neighbouring countries greatly admired her exceptional perspective.

READ: Arshad Nadeem returns after winning silver at World Athletics Championship

Arshad Nadeem creates history with silver at World Athletics Championship

BUDAPEST: Star javelin thrower Arshad Nadeem made history on Sunday as he clinched a silver medal, at the World Athletics Championship in Budapest, Hungary. This was Pakistan’s first-ever medal in the tournament’s history.

Arshad Nadeem secured the silver with his best throw in his third attempt which went at a distance of 87.82 meters.

Meanwhile, his Indian counterpart Neeraj Chopra bagged India’s first gold medal at the World Athletics Championship with an 88.17m throw in his second attempt.

Arshad started things slowly with a 74.80m throw in his first attempt, however, he made a sounding comeback with an 82.81m throw in his second attempt.

His aforementioned third throw, proved to be his best in the season, going as far as 87.82 meters, while his fourth attempt could only go at 87.12m.

His fifth and sixth attempts failed to breach Neeraj Chopra’s 88.17-meter mark, hence settling for a silver.

History-maker

Arshad Nadeem becomes the very first medallist ever for Pakistan in the history of the #WorldAthleticsChamps

🥇 @Neeraj_chopra1 🇮🇳
🥈 Arshad Nadeem 🇵🇰
🥉 Jakub Vadlejch 🇨🇿 pic.twitter.com/N3N12VIiCN

— World Athletics (@WorldAthletics) August 27, 2023

Prior to that, Arshad Nadeem on Friday secured his place for the final of the World Athletics Championship in Budapest, as well as, the Paris Olympics in 2024.

Arshad Nadeem started off the qualifying round of the javelin throw event with a 70.63m throw in his first attempt, while in his second attempt, he threw his javelin at a distance of 81.53 meters.

However, the Automatic qualifying mark for the final of the World Athletics Championship was 83 meters, while the benchmark for the Paris Olympics was 85.50 meters.

Arshad Nadeem breached both benchmarks in his third attempt with an amazing 86.79-meter throw, consequently qualifying for both events.

It is worth mentioning that Arshad Nadeem was declared fit for the World Athletics Championship earlier this month by the medical board, after being ruled out of the Asian Athletics Championship, due to an injury to his left knee.

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‘It would’ve been more exciting if Neeraj was here’ says Arshad Nadeem

BIRMINGHAM: Pakistan’s ace athlete Arshad Nadeem revealed that he missed his Indian counterpart Neeraj Chopra’s presence in the Commonwealth Games after he bagged a historic gold medal in the men’s javelin throw final, here on Monday.

Speaking to ARY News following his astounding feat the other day, Arshad shared his inspirational journey from the Tokyo Olympics to creating history in the Commonwealth Games and stated that it was a matter of great pride for him to win a gold for Pakistan for the first time.

“I competed in international competitions for the first time since suffering an injury after the Tokyo Olympics. My targets were the Commonwealth Games, World Athletics Championships and Islamic Games,” he said.

“I’ve been working on my injury. Hopefully, I will earn more medals for Pakistan in the future”, hoped Arshad who defied an elbow and knee injury the other day to set the Commonwealth Games record with his magnificent throw of 90.18 metres.

“When I made an 88 metres throw and after (Anderson) Peters threw as well, I feel more motivated that there is still throw left in me and I can do that,” said Arshad as he beat World Atheltic Champion, Grenada’s Anderson Peter who threw a distance of 88.64m to finish second in the CWG final.

While he also surpassed Neeraj Chopra’s Tokyo Olympics throw of 87.58m, the 25-year-old Arshad revealed that he has been friends with the Indian javelin star and claimed that he felt his absence during the Games.

“Injuries are part and parcel of the game. If Neeraj was here, it would’ve been more exciting. I pray for his recovery and wish him luck for his next competition” he added.

Moreover, the star athlete expressed the joy that he won the medal at a time when the country’s independence was just around the corner and stated that the whole nation would celebrate the 14th August with the medals this time.

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