"In cricket, Pakistan and India share a deep love and a deeper rivalry, but this week, the attention of both nations turns to a much simpler and shorter sporting event. At the World Athletics Championships in Japan, men's javelin throwers Neeraj Chopra and Arshad Nadeem are expected to compete against each other for the first time since the 2024 Olympics in Paris."
"In 2025, Julian Weber of Germany has had the longest throw, at 91.51 meters, and while Chopra has reached over 90 meters, Nadeem's best was 86.40 in May. This, however, came at his only event since the Olympics but fans don't seem too concerned. "He had [calf muscle] surgery in July, so he has not been able to compete as much as he wanted," Farid Khan, a Karachi-based sports fan, told DW. "We are not worried about his form because as long as he is fit, he can always produce one or two big throws out of six.""
"The two athletes are huge stars back home partly because both countries have been starved of Olympic success. India may have 1.4 billion people, but Chopra's triumph was only its third gold medal since 1964. Nadeem's gold was Pakistan's first in 40 years and when his plane landed back in Lahore from Paris, there were thousands waiting to greet their new sporting hero."
Cricket usually dominates India-Pakistan sporting attention, but focus has turned to javelin as Neeraj Chopra and Arshad Nadeem prepare to meet for the first time since the 2024 Paris Olympics. Nadeem won gold in Paris with Chopra taking silver after his 2020 Tokyo triumph. In 2025 Julian Weber leads with 91.51 meters; Chopra has exceeded 90 meters while Nadeem recorded 86.40 meters in May at his sole post-Olympic event. Nadeem underwent calf surgery in July and has competed little since, yet supporters expect he can still produce big throws. Both athletes enjoy rare Olympic-driven star status at home.
Read at www.dw.com
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