Pakistan javelin thrower Arshad Nadeem, who won gold at the Paris Olympics, played down the rivalry with Neeraj Chopra ahead of the upcoming World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, Japan. Neeraj will return to the National Stadium in Tokyo, where he most famously became the Olympic champion four years ago. The 27-year-old Neeraj Chopra will look to defend his world champion title in the upcoming tournament; however, he will have to keep Arshad at bay. The premier javelin thrower from India will also look to take revenge after coming second to Arshad at the Paris Olympics.
Arshad competed just once after the Paris Olympics, winning the Asian Championships. On the other hand, Neeraj has had a good season so far, finishing in the top two in every competition he has participated in. He also crossed the 90m mark at the Doha Diamond League, throwing 90.23m.
The Paris Olympics gold medallist spoke to reporters in Lahore after his final training session before leaving for the Japanese capital, and it was then that he was asked about his view of the competition with Neeraj.
“My competition is always against Arshad Nadeem; I have my competitions against myself. I am in good shape and well prepared for the contest in Tokyo,” Dawn.com quoted Arshad as saying.
“Most of the other main rivals in Tokyo [javelin throw event] are the same who were at the Paris Olympics, so it will be a good contest,” he added.
Arshad also stated that he regrets missing the Diamond League. For the unversed, he missed the competition after undergoing a calf surgery in July 2025.
“But the decision was taken just not to take any risk before the World Championships,” said Arshad.
“I always target to do my best in every event, and I am going to Tokyo with the same mission with high hopes. And the rest is on God,” he added.
World Athletics Championships
The World Athletics Championships will begin on Saturday, September 13. However, the men’s javelin final will be played on Thursday, September 18.
Arshad Nadeem heads into the competition as one of the favourites alongside Chopra. The two are expected to set the stage on fire, and it will be an intense finish. It remains to be seen whether the duo can once again register a throw of more than 90m.