ISLAMABAD (Kashmir English): Pakistan’s star javelin champion Arshad Nadeem and Indian star Neeraj Chopra are set to compete each other at the Diamond League event in Silesia, Poland.
This will be the first time that both will be feature in their first head-to-head contest since the Paris Olympics.
The match-up is anticipated amid the recent political tension and May conflicts between Pakistan and India.
Diamond League has issued a press release earlier this week, announcing the participation of the athletes including Kenyan middle-distance runner Faith Kipyegon.
The press release describe the contest between two arch rival as “the first opportunity for revenge after the Paris Olympics”.
“The Pakistani’s form remains something of a mystery, as he rarely appears on the European circuit, the exception he will make on August 16 results from his desire to face Chopra,” the statement reads.
“yearning for more” is what the press release noted after Chopra threw 90 metres this spring.
However, Arshad also made headline in May, 2025 following a massive throw of 86.4m to win gold medal in the men’s javelin final at the Asian Athletics Championship in Gumi, South Korea.
Nadeem and other world-class throwers were invited to the inaugural Neeraj Chopra Classic, Chopra announced the day before a terrorist strike in occupied Kashmir on April 22. The attack in Kashmir, however, led to harsh criticism of Chopra’s choice to invite Nadeem.
Nadeem ultimately did not attend the event.
