The much-anticipated clash between India’s star javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra and Pakistan’s Olympic champion Arshad Nadeem at the Diamond League meeting in Silesia, Poland, on August 16 will not materialise, with both athletes conspicuously absent from the official entry list.
The absence of Chopra’s name from the participants’ roster has raised speculation, though the reasons for this omission remain unclear. The Silesia organisers had announced Chopra’s participation alongside Nadeem on July 9, fuelling hopes for a high-profile South Asian showdown in one of athletics’ premier events.
Nadeem’s participation had been cast into doubt following a calf muscle surgery he underwent in England late last month. Despite this, the event had lined up a formidable field featuring seasoned throwers such as Germany’s Julian Weber, Grenada’s Anderson Peters, Kenya’s Julius Yego, and Trinidad and Tobago’s Keshorn Walcott, among others.
Although Chopra will miss both the Silesia leg and the Brussels Diamond League meeting on August 22, he remains well positioned to qualify for the winner-takes-all Diamond League Finals in Zurich on August 28. With 15 points garnered from two Diamond League events, a title and a second-place finish, Chopra shares the top spot with Weber. Anderson Peters and Walcott trail closely, each with 10 points.
Also read: Chopra to face Nadeem in Poland Diamond League on Aug 16
Chopra’s most recent competition was the NC Classic in Bengaluru on July 5, where he clinched the title with a throw of 86.18 metres. The 27-year-old world champion achieved a milestone earlier this year at the Doha Diamond League in May, surpassing the coveted 90-metre mark with a throw of 90.23m, finishing second to Weber. He secured the Paris Diamond League title in June with a throw of 88.16m.
Looking ahead, Chopra will defend his world title at the World Championships scheduled in Tokyo from September 13 to 21.
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