Javelin rivals Arshad Nadeem, Neeraj Chopra to compete again in August

KARACHI: The highly anticipated rivalry between Pakistan's Arshad Nadeem and India's Neeraj Chopra is set to reignite as the two javelin titans prepare to clash at the Diamond League meeting in Silesia, Poland, on August 16.

This upcoming event marks their first faceoff since the 2024 Paris Olympics, where Nadeem delivered a historic performance to secure the gold medal and set a new standard in the sport.

In Paris, Nadeem dominated the field with a remarkable throw of 92.97 metres, while Chopra earned the silver medal with a throw of 89.45m and Grenada's Anderson Peters fetched the bronze medal with a throw of 88.54m.

Nadeem's participation in the Polish event follows his recent decision to withdraw from the World Athletics Silver Tour on July 15 in Switzerland.

The rivalry intensifies as Nadeem is also scheduled to compete in another Diamond League event in Zurich on August 27, potentially setting the stage for another showdown with Chopra.

In a recent media interaction, Nadeem opened up about his decision to skip the event, citing injury concerns.

"I've decided to withdraw from the Switzerland event due to a strain in my calf that I experienced during training here," Nadeem said while speaking to the media in Lahore.

"I don't want the strain to worsen, so this decision is in the interest of my long-term fitness."

Nadeem emphasised that his primary focus remained on the World Athletics Championships, scheduled to be held in Tokyo, Japan, in September.

"My entire focus is on the World Championship, which will be held in Tokyo this September," he stated. "I'm leaving for London on July 14 to resume training in a more suitable environment.

"I believe the quality of training and recovery in England will prepare me well for both the Diamond League and the World Championship."