Indian javelin throw star Neeraj Chopra is gearing up for the World Athletics Championship 2025, beginning with the qualification rounds in Tokyo on Wednesday. This time, he may face stiff competition from the likes of Pakistan's Olympic champion Arshad Nadeem and Germany's Diamond League winner Julian Weber.
Chopra aims to make history by clinching the gold in the men's javelin throw for the second consecutive time. So far, only the Czech Republic's Jan Zelezny (1993, 1995) and Grenada's Anderson Peters (2019, 2022) have achieved this feat. Neeraj had secured the gold medal at the previous World Championship (2023, Budapest).
Interestingly, Neeraj and Arshad won't face off directly in the qualifying rounds, as they're placed in different groups. Their much-anticipated showdown is expected in the finals scheduled for Thursday. This will be their first encounter on such a stage since the Paris Olympics 2024. In Paris, Arshad threw 92.97 meters to win gold, while Neeraj's best throw was 89.45 meters, earning him a silver.
All eyes are on the encounter between Arshad Nadeem and Neeraj Chopra, as it's yet to be seen if Neeraj will shake hands with Nadeem. This becomes intriguing considering Indian players didn't shake hands with Pakistani players during the Asia Cup.
In the title race, Germany's Weber, Grenada's Peters, Kenya's former World Champion Julius Yego, Trinidad and Tobago's 2012 Olympic winner Keshorn Walcott, Czech's Jakub Vadlejch, and Brazil's Luis da Silva are also set to compete.
India is fielding its largest delegation this time. Along with Neeraj, Sachin Yadav, Yashveer Singh, and Rohit Yadav are also participating. Chopra has received a wildcard for being the defending champion, while the other three qualified via world rankings.
In the qualification round, Neeraj is placed in the 19-member Group A, comprising Weber, Walcott, Vadlejch, and Sachin Yadav. Meanwhile, Group B features Arshad Nadeem, Peters, Yego, da Silva, Rohit Yadav, Yashveer Singh, and Sri Lanka's emerging talent Ramesh Tharanga Pathirge. Throwers surpassing 84.50 meters or ranked in the top 12 will qualify for the finals.
Neeraj secured the gold with an 88.17-meter throw in Budapest 2023, while Nadeem (87.82 meters) took silver and Vadlejch (86.67 meters) bronze. Notably, this Tokyo stadium is where Neeraj made history by winning the Olympic gold in 2021.
This season Neeraj's best throw was 90.23 meters at the Doha Diamond League, while his second-best was 88.16 meters. On the other hand, Julian Weber has thrown over 90 meters thrice this year and recently claimed the Diamond League trophy, emerging as a strong contender.
