Neeraj Chopra Starts World Athletics Championships 2025 Title Defense, Facing Arch-Rival
India's golden boy of athletics Neeraj Chopra will begin his Tokyo 2025 World Athletics Championships campaign on Wednesday as he bids to retain javelin throw title. Qualification round for the men's javelin is set at legendary National Stadium with the final taking place on Thursday. Both sessions of the game will be broadcast and live-streamed in India.
Among the biggest stories heading to Tokyo is the eagerly anticipated duel between Neeraj Chopra and his Pakistani rival, Arshad Nadeem. They share one of the most acrimonious rivalries in international sports today. Chopra had made India's first-ever athletics world champion two years ago in Budapest with an 88.17m throw. Nadeem had claimed silver then with 87.82m. Their feud intensified last year during the Paris 2024 Olympics, where Nadeem stunned Chopra by claiming gold with an Olympic record throw of 92.97m, keeping the Indian legend from winning consecutive Olympic titles.
Standing second in the world now, Chopra is eyeing his third Worlds medal after his silver in the United States three years ago and his gold in Budapest. Nadeem had taken silver then with 87.82m. Their rivalry deepened last year at the Paris 2024 Olympics, where Nadeem shocked Chopra by taking gold with an Olympic record effort of 92.97m, preventing the Indian legend from winning back-to-back Olympic victories.
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Ranked second in the world currently, Chopra is targeting his third Worlds medal following his silver in the United States three years ago and his gold in Budapest. Earlier this season, he broke the 90m barrier for the first time with a national record of 90.23m in Doha. Despite this milestone, he stands third in the world rankings behind Germany’s Julian Weber and Brazil’s Luiz da Silva. Notably, this year three athletes, including Chopra, have thrown beyond 90m, while five others achieved the mark last season, setting up a high-voltage contest in Tokyo.
37 competitors are vying for 12 places in Thursday's final, split between two qualifying groups. The automatic qualifying distance is 84.50m. Chopra is entered in Group A, as is Arshad Nadeem at the head of Group B. Three other Indian throwers will join Chopra in the competition: Sachin Yadav (Group A), Rohit Yadav, and Yashvir Singh (both Group B), making this India's strongest entry in the men's javelin at a world championship.
Chopra's group stage for the qualification round in Group A will get underway on September 17 at 3:40 PM IST, while Group B will start at 5:15 PM IST. Everyone will be looking to see if the 27-year-old sensation can continue his dominance and retain his world title.
