Key Points

The meet was expected to be the first clash between the Indian and Pakistani rivals since their Paris Olympics 2024 face-off, where Arshad outclassed Neeraj with a record-breaking throw that earned him a gold medal, while Neeraj had to stay content with silver, as per Olympics.com.

The high-profile clash, teased by event organisers back in July, was in doubt as Nadeem underwent a surgery in his right calf during last month. The Pakistani star was ruled out of the competition by his coach and does not appear in the list unveiled this week.

On the other hand, the reason behind Neeraj's absence is unclear.

The Indian superstar has enjoyed a spectacular start to the 2025 season.

Chopra took the top honours in the inaugural edition of the Neeraj Chopra Classic, a competition named after him at Sri Kanteerava Outdoor Stadium in Bengaluru last month. The reigning javelin throw champion stood triumphant with 86.18m.

Neeraj kickstarted with a win at the Potch Invitational in Potchefstroom, South Africa, in April and followed it up with a very special second-place finish at Doha Diamond League, where he crossed the 90-metre mark for the first time ever, with a throw of 90.23 m.

He also went on to secure a second spot in the Janusz Kusocinski Memorial in Poland later that month and resumed his winning ways with back-to-back titles at Paris Diamond League and Ostrava Golden Spike this month, with best efforts of 88.16 m and 85.29 m. Most recently came his NC Classic triumph in front of his home crowd.

Neeraj and Nadeem are both aiming to take part in World Athletics Championships scheduled for Tokyo from September 13-21. During the previous edition, Neeraj had finished ahead of Nadeem to win the gold, becoming the first-ever Indian to land a gold at the marquee event.

Before the prestigious Tokyo meet, the Lausanne Diamond League on August 20 will be the last major athletics event where Neeraj could get some game time.

- ANI