Pakistan’s Olympic javelin champion, Arshad Nadeem, has respectfully declined Neeraj Chopra’s invitation to participate in the inaugural Neeraj Chopra Classic javelin event scheduled for May 24 in Bengaluru. Nadeem cited a scheduling conflict with his preparations for the upcoming Asian Athletics Championships in Gumi, South Korea, which are set to take place from May 27 to 31. He is slated to depart for Korea on May 22, making it unfeasible to attend the Bengaluru event.
While some media outlets have speculated that recent geopolitical tensions, including a terror attack in Pahalgam, may have influenced his decision, Nadeem has not publicly attributed his withdrawal to political factors. Instead, he emphasized his commitment to his training schedule and expressed gratitude to Chopra for the invitation.
Despite Nadeem’s absence, the Neeraj Chopra Classic is poised to feature a stellar lineup of international javelin throwers, including Anderson Peters of Grenada, Thomas Röhler of Germany, Julius Yego of Kenya, and American Curtis Thompson. The event has been granted Category A status by World Athletics and will be jointly organized by Chopra, JSW Sports, the Athletics Federation of India, and World Athletics.
Nadeem and Chopra have shared a respectful rivalry on the field, notably at the 2024 Paris Olympics, where Nadeem secured gold with an Olympic record throw of 92.97 meters, while Chopra earned silver with a throw of 89.45 meters.
