Neeraj Chopra Withdraws from Silesia Diamond League Amidst Rivalry with Arshad Nadeem

Neeraj Chopra's Withdrawal from Upcoming Event

New Delhi, August 9: Neeraj Chopra, the Olympic gold medalist and World Champion from India, has decided to pull out of the Silesia Diamond League, which is set to take place on August 16. Notably, Pakistan's Olympic champion Arshad Nadeem will also be absent from this event in Poland.

This competition was anticipated to be the first encounter between these two athletes since their showdown at the Paris Olympics 2024, where Nadeem surpassed Chopra with a record-breaking throw, securing gold while Chopra settled for silver, according to Olympics.com.

Initially promoted by event organizers as a highly anticipated match-up, the clash became uncertain after Nadeem underwent surgery on his right calf last month. His coach has confirmed that he will not be competing, as he is not listed among the participants announced this week.

As for Neeraj Chopra, the reasons for his withdrawal remain unclear.

The Indian javelin thrower has had an impressive start to the 2025 season. He recently claimed victory at the inaugural Neeraj Chopra Classic held at the Sri Kanteerava Outdoor Stadium in Bengaluru, achieving a throw of 86.18m.

Chopra began his season with a win at the Potch Invitational in Potchefstroom, South Africa, in April, followed by a remarkable second-place finish at the Doha Diamond League, where he recorded a personal best throw of 90.23m.

He also secured second place at the Janusz Kusocinski Memorial in Poland later that month and continued his winning streak with titles at the Paris Diamond League and Ostrava Golden Spike this month, with throws of 88.16m and 85.29m, respectively. His recent victory at the NC Classic in front of a home crowd further solidified his status.

Both Neeraj and Nadeem are preparing for the World Athletics Championships, which will be held in Tokyo from September 13-21. In the previous edition, Neeraj triumphed over Nadeem to win gold, making history as the first Indian to achieve this feat at the prestigious event.

Before the Tokyo championships, Neeraj will have one last opportunity to compete at the Lausanne Diamond League on August 20, which will serve as a crucial event for him to gain competitive experience.