Neeraj Chopra vs Arshad Nadeem: An overview of the India-Pakistan rivalry in global athletics
PTC News Desk: The rivalry between Neeraj Chopra and Arshad Nadeem in men's javelin throw is steadily evolving into one of the most eagerly anticipated matchups in global athletics.
Rivalries between athletes or teams from neighbouring countries with shared histories always capture attention and add a thrilling dimension to sports. While cricket and hockey have long been arenas for the India-Pakistan rivalry, with high-stakes clashes often making headlines, a new chapter is being written in the world of athletics.
Neeraj Chopra is excellence personified! Time and again he’s shown his brilliance. India is elated that he comes back with yet another Olympic success. Congratulations to him on winning the Silver. He will continue to motivate countless upcoming athletes to pursue their dreams… pic.twitter.com/XIjfeDDSeb — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 8, 2024
Historically, the most memorable India-Pakistan clash in athletics was the 1960s showdown between Indian track legend Milkha Singh and Pakistan's Abdul Khaliq. However, the Neeraj Chopra vs. Arshad Nadeem rivalry is rapidly gaining prominence, capturing the imagination of the athletics community worldwide.
Neeraj Chopra, an Olympic, World, Asian, Commonwealth, and Diamond League champion, is a celebrated figure in global athletics. At just 25-year-old, Chopra has amassed every major title in his sport, elevating Indian athletics on the world stage.
Jaishankar congratulates javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra for bagging silver in Paris Olympics
Read @ANI Story | https://t.co/ZXbb7tzfA3 #Jaishankar #NeerajChopra #ParisOlympics2024 pic.twitter.com/zsPw8rQDfU — ANI Digital (@ani_digital) August 9, 2024
Arshad Nadeem, on the other hand, has demonstrated he can be a formidable competitor against Chopra. At the Paris 2024 Olympics, Nadeem delivered a remarkable performance, securing the gold medal with an Olympic record throw of 92.97 meters—3.52 meters ahead of the silver medalist, Neeraj Chopra. This achievement also marked Nadeem as Pakistan’s first individual Olympic champion. Additionally, Nadeem’s throw of 92.97 meters set a new Asian record in javelin throw.
Neeraj Chopra's mother says “ I am happy with the silver, the guy who got gold ( Arshad Nadeem) is also my child, everyone goes there after doing a lot of hard work”
what grace from Neeraj Chopra's mother, something that people can learn a lot from ♥️
Most beautiful video on… pic.twitter.com/Uqz3LQZCv7 — Roshan Rai (@RoshanKrRaii) August 8, 2024
Nadeem’s accomplishments extend beyond the Olympics. His silver medal at the 2023 World Championships in Budapest was a historic moment, making him the first Pakistani athlete to earn a medal at the World Championships. Furthermore, Nadeem ended Pakistan's 60-year wait for a Commonwealth Games gold by winning in Birmingham 2022.
"If mothers ran the world, there would be no hate, no wars. #ArshadNadeem's mother: 'Neeraj Chopra is like a son to me. I prayed for him too.' (courtesy indyurdu) #NeerajChopra's mother: 'We're happy with silver. The one who won gold (Arshad Nadeem) is also my child.'"… pic.twitter.com/hCHGGZ6c30 — Ghulam Abbas Shah (@ghulamabbasshah) August 9, 2024
In their head-to-head matchups, Neeraj Chopra and Arshad Nadeem have competed against each other in 10 international events—eight senior and two junior. Their first encounter occurred at the South Asian Games 2016 in Guwahati, where Chopra claimed the gold medal while Nadeem secured the bronze. As of now, Chopra leads the rivalry with a 9-1 record against Nadeem, who is a year older than Chopra.
The ongoing rivalry between these two athletes promises to add exciting narratives to the world of javelin throw and is set to be a defining aspect of their careers.
Also Read: Paris Olympics 2024: Neeraj Chopra takes javelin silver, Arshad Nadeem wins gold with olympic record
Since 2018, Nadeem has been giving the accomplishments of the Indian legend fierce competition, even in spite of Chopra's domination. The Pakistani javelin thrower has the potential to really challenge Chopra's goals of ruling the javelin throw circuit if he keeps improving at this rate.
Arshad Nadeem is far ahead of his Indian opponent in terms of personal best throws, despite the fact that he has never been able to pass Neeraj Chopra in a tournament.
Chopra was unable to compete at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham because of an injury. In the meanwhile, Nadeem defeated Grenada's Anderson Peters, the previous world champion, to win the gold medal with a throw of 90.18 meters.
Athletes of Asian descent had only broken the coveted 90-meter mark twice in history. At the 2017 World Underscore, Chao-Tsun Cheng of Chinese Taipei sets an Asian record with a throw of 91.26 meters, placing him in first place.
Simultaneously, Neeraj Chopra set a personal best of 89.94 meters at the Stockholm Diamond League in Sweden in 2022. The national record for India is this throw.
Also Read: ‘It was Arshad Nadeem's day: Neeraj Chopra reflects on missing gold at Paris Olympics
Despite their competitive rivalry on the field, the camaraderie and mutual respect between Neeraj Chopra and Arshad Nadeem stand as a testament to true Olympic sportsmanship.
A notable example of their friendship emerged after the Tokyo Olympics. Following the final, a controversy arose when Arshad Nadeem was seen practicing with Neeraj Chopra's javelin. Some media outlets suggested that Nadeem was improperly handling Chopra’s gold medal-winning javelin. However, Neeraj Chopra quickly dismissed these claims and supported his fellow athlete. Chopra stated, “There was nothing wrong with Arshad Nadeem using my javelin for practice. It is within the rules, and please do not use my name to advance any negative agenda.”
Since Tokyo, Chopra and Nadeem have repeatedly demonstrated their mutual admiration and friendship. One memorable instance occurred after Neeraj Chopra’s historic gold medal victory at the Budapest World Championships. Despite his own triumph, Chopra insisted on taking photographs with Nadeem, who was searching for his national flag. Their warm interaction, captured in photos, went viral on social media, sending a powerful message of unity between their countries.
Reflecting on their relationship, Neeraj Chopra commented, “I don’t use my mobile much before a competition, but today I saw that the first thing on it was India vs Pakistan. It was heartening to see Arshad perform well, and we discussed how both our countries are advancing. Earlier, European athletes dominated, but now we have reached their level.”
Their continued friendship and respect for each other underscore the spirit of sportsmanship that transcends national boundaries, reinforcing the notion that athletic rivalry can coexist with genuine camaraderie.
- With inputs from agencies
