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Pakistan's Arshad Nadeem and India's Neeraj Chopra have both secured their spots in the men's javelin final at the Paris Olympics. The two rivals and friends delivered impressive performances in the qualification round.
Arshad Nadeem and Neeraj Chopra Qualify for Javelin Final
Nadeem, the 2023 World Championships silver medalist, achieved the automatic qualification mark of 84 s with a strong throw of 86.59 on his first attempt. However, all eyes were on Neeraj Chopra, the reigning Olympic and world champion, who produced a sensational throw of 89.34 metres on his first attempt, setting the stage for a thrilling final.
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"It gives me immense joy that there are only two of us from South Asia, myself and Neeraj bhai, who are performing on the world stage along with the other players who compete with Neeraj,” Arshad said, as quoted by Olympics.com.
"I hope that we continue to perform for our respective countries and make the names of our countries shine bright globally," he added.
The highly anticipated men's javelin throw final will take place on August 8 at the iconic Stade de France in Paris. Neeraj Chopra, the reigning Olympic champion, will be looking to defend his title after securing a dominant victory with a throw of 87.58 metres at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Joining him in the final is Pakistan's Arshad Nadeem, who has created history by becoming the first Pakistani athlete to reach the final of a track and field event at the Olympics. Nadeem finished fifth in the javelin competition at Tokyo 2020 with a throw of 84.62 metres.
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Nadeem expressed his enthusiasm about the possibility of sharing the Olympic podium with Neeraj Chopra.
“At every competition, the aim of every athlete remains to try and perform to the best of their ability. I wish Neeraj the best of luck. May he and I both do well for our respective countries,” Nadeem further said.
The rivalry between Neeraj Chopra and Arshad Nadeem extends beyond the competition. The duo has shared the podium multiple times, including at the 2018 Asian Games (gold for Chopra, bronze for Nadeem) and the 2023 World Championships (gold for Chopra, silver for Nadeem). Their competitive spirit is matched by mutual respect, as evidenced by their interactions at the Olympic Village in Paris.
Neeraj Chopra said congratulations to me after the qualification: Arshad Nadeem
"Yes, we have met each other a few times there. We have a bit of a chat every time we meet,” the Pakistani javelin thrower said.
"And we spoke just now as well, and he said congratulations to me after the qualification. Usually, we speak about things that friends talk about. The usual stuff. And we wish each other that we do well for our respective countries," he concluded.
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