Neeraj Chopra Set for High-Stakes Diamond League Showdown with Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem in Poland

New Delhi, July 12, 2025 — Olympic and World Champion Neeraj Chopra will reignite his fierce rivalry with Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem when the two javelin stars clash in the Diamond League meeting in Silesia, Poland, on August 16 marking their first face-off since the dramatic final at the Paris Olympics last year.

The contest promises to be one of the season’s headline events, with Chopra seeking redemption after settling for silver in Paris on August 8, 2024. On that day, Nadeem stunned the athletics world with a monstrous throw of 92.97 metres to clinch gold, relegating the 27-year-old Indian superstar to second place despite Chopra’s impressive effort of 89.45 metres.

Confirming the showdown, World Athletics and the Silesia Diamond League organisers described the meeting as a “revenge match” that Polish fans are eagerly awaiting. “Neeraj Chopra will face Arshad Nadeem. The Indian-Pakistani battle awaiting the Polish fans will be the first opportunity for revenge after the Paris Olympics,” organisers said while unveiling the participants.

Chopra, who in May became the 26th thrower in history to cross the 90-metre mark with a throw of 90.23 metres at the Doha Diamond League, has kept a busy competition schedule in 2025. Though he finished second in Doha behind Germany’s Julian Weber, Chopra bounced back to win his first Diamond League title of the year in Paris on June 20 with a best of 88.16 metres. He subsequently claimed victories at the Ostrava Golden Spike in the Czech Republic (85.29m) and the NC Classic in Bengaluru (86.18m).

Currently coached by legendary Czech javelin thrower Jan Zelezny, Chopra has been fine-tuning his technique with an eye on retaining his World Championship title at Tokyo in September.

Meanwhile, Nadeem, now 28, has remained largely absent from the European circuit since his golden throw in Paris. His only appearance this season was at the Asian Championships in Gumi, South Korea, where he captured gold with an 86.40-metre effort on May 31. Nadeem had declined an invitation from Chopra to compete at the inaugural NC Classic in Bengaluru, citing a scheduling conflict with his Asian Championships preparations.

Nadeem’s limited appearances have added intrigue to the impending clash. As Silesia Diamond League organisers noted, “The Pakistani’s form remains something of a mystery… the exception he will make on August 16th results from his desire to face Chopra.”

Beyond the personal rivalry, the Chopra-Nadeem duel embodies the growing prominence of South Asian athletes on the global athletics stage. Both men will be viewed as major contenders for the men’s javelin crown at the upcoming World Championships in Tokyo, scheduled from September 13 to 21.

For Chopra, the upcoming Diamond League meet offers a chance to settle scores and stamp his authority ahead of the season’s biggest stage. For Nadeem, it’s an opportunity to reaffirm his Paris heroics and re-establish himself as the man to beat in men’s javelin.

Athletics fans across the subcontinent and the world will be watching closely.