Pakistan's reigning Olympic gold medallist, Arshad Nadeem, has declined India's invitation to participate in the upcoming Neeraj Chopra Classic javelin throw meet in Bengaluru. Arshad has cited a clash with his existing schedule as the reason for deciding not to participate in the Neeraj Chopra Classic, the one-day event that will be organised at the Sri Kanteerva Stadium in Bengaluru on May 24.
Arshad Nadeem recently competed against Neeraj Chopra during the Paris Olympics 2024, where the Pakistan star clinched a gold medal by creating an Olympic record, and Neeraj won the silver.
"I have declined the invitation as my schedule was finalised a year earlier, and I am going to attend an Asian meet in South Korea from May 27," Arshad was quoted as saying by Telecom Asia Sport (www.telecomasia.net). Arshad is currently on vacation in his hometown, Mian Channu.
Arshad will soon be coming to his base in Pakistan and will be preparing for the World Athletics Championship to be held in Tokyo in September later this year.
However, earlier reports claimed that Pakistan's star showed an inclination to accept the invitation. Once he officially received it, the Paris Olympic Games gold medallist made a U-turn and declined the invitation because of the escalating political tensions between the two countries following the terror attack on tourists in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir.
Another probable reason why Arshad Nadeen decided against participating in the NC Classic is that he will have to get permission from the Pakistan government. He did not want to get caught in the escalating tension between the two countries and have his invite called off from the Indian side.