India’s Neeraj Chopra and Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem are all set to compete in the men’s javelin final at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, on September 18
Despite their respective countries’ animosity and heightened emotions during any sports competition, Neeraj and Arshad have been the internet sensation in the past for their exceptional sportsmanship.
This will be their first clash after India and Pakistan confronted each other militarily in a brief but intense exchange. The shadow of this conflict did cast heavily on Neeraj and Arshad’s contests.
Both had to deny invitations to come together in a clash until now. Neeraj won the Tokyo championship in 2020 and will try to defend his title while Arshad is the champion of the Paris Olympics 2024 in which not only did he set the record for the longest throw but also beat Neeraj to get the gold.
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Since then, Arshad Nadeem has been a nationwide sensation. He is appearing in the Tokyo round after a recent calf surgery in July, which may affect his performance. In May, the athlete won the Asian Athletics Championships in South Korea.
This latest win is reason enough for his Pakistani fans to believe that Arshad will outshine once again. Hailing from a farming family, Arshad Nadeem represents hope for many Pakistanis who want to achieve big despite infrastructural constraints.
However, missing from the contest will be the warmth fans got to see during the Paris Olympics when both Arshad and Neeraj stood side by side and celebrated Arshad’s massive win and world record.
Both athletes turned cold in their more recent statements, taking back claims of being on friendly terms with each other. This suggests the encounter next week will be somehow tense, all the while expectations of fans on both sides will be higher.
Established in December 2008, The Diplomatic Insight is Pakistan’s premier diplomacy and foreign affairs magazine, available in both digital and print formats.
