Neeraj, who will look to defend his javelin throw title in Tokyo, and Arshad were expected to mark their first face-off this year at the Silesia Diamond League in Poland in August.
Defending champion Neeraj Chopra signed off with a silver medal in the Olympics men's Javelin Throw in Paris on Thursday. Pakistan's Arshad Nadeem was a class above the field, setting a new Games record of 92.97 metres for the gold medal.
'No one had thought that a para-athlete can throw 70m when I started the game. Now, I am able to do it. So, we will try to throw 75m or 80m.'
Neeraj Chopra may have clinched the Golden Spike title in his maiden appearance at the meet, but the former Olympic champion was far from satisfied with his performance.
Navdeep Singh's journey to the gold medal was filled with dramatic twists and turns.
Javelin thrower Sachin Yadav of Uttar Pradesh, 18-year-old high jumper Pooja Singh of Haryana and long distance runner Sawan Barwal of Himachal Pradesh rewrote National Games records and won gold medals on the concluding day of athletics competition. Yadav sent his spear to a Games-record distance of 84.39m in his fifth attempt, while Pooja cleared 1.84m to defend the women's high jump gold. Barwal won the men's 5000m in a time of 13 minutes and 45.93 seconds, bettering the earlier Games record.
'I'm looking forward to what 2026 has in store. I started my preparation in early November. As always, the goal is to stay healthy, and I am already excited to be competing again soon.'
Jhajharia, himself a para-javelin throw legend with double Paralympics gold in F46 category, said when Chopra breaks the barrier of 90m, he will do it by a big margin, going past the elusive mark by 3 to 4 metres.
Neeraj Chopra pipped two-time world champion Anderson Peters of Grenada for the top spot in the 2024
'In Doha, the 90m throw was really good, but technically I don't want to say that was perfect.'
India is set to host its first-ever National Indoor Athletics Championship in Bhubaneswar, marking a significant step towards hosting the World Indoor Athletics Championships in 2028. The event will feature a 200m track and various field events, providing a novel experience for Indian athletes.
Clearly, Chopra was not at his best in the season's Diamond League grand finale. He had three legal throws out of the six attempts.
Outperforming the likes of Neeraj Chopra and Julian Weber in his debut World Championship is a nice feeling but India's new-found javelin throw talent Sachin Yadav says it cannot make up for the disappointment of "letting slip" an unlikely bronze after a strong start.
The pipping ceremony of Olympic gold medallist and Lt. Colonel (Honorary) Neeraj Chopra was held on Wednesday in New Delhi, marking another significant milestone in his decorated career.
'I wanted to step out there and give my best for India despite all the challenges but it wasn't my night.'
India's world champion Neeraj Chopra dethroned Grenada's Anderson Peters to reclaim the number one spot in men's javelin throw world rankings following a string of brilliant performances on the international stage recently.
Neeraj Chopra made it look effortless as he sealed his spot at the World Athletics Championships with a stunning first throw in Tokyo on Wednesday.
Chopra and Nadeem will be facing each other one year after the mouth-watering men's javelin competition in Paris on August 8, 2024, when the Pakistani had beaten the Indian for the gold with a stunning 92.97m throw.
Neeraj-led four Indians to compete in Doha Diamond League on May 16
His first throw of 88.39 metres earned him automatic qualification for the final.
The maiden edition of Neeraj Chopra Classic javelin throw event will be teeming with stars as the likes of Anderson Peters of Grenada and Thomas Rohler of Germany are taking part.
D P Manu, who finished sixth at the World Championships last year, is yet to qualify for the Paris Olympics.
Before Rani, Kashinath Naik and Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra had won a bronze and a gold in men's javelin throw in the 2010 and 2018 editions respectively.
Anju Bobby George says Parul Chaudhary among ones to watch out for
Ace javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra, widely admired for his humility and poise, on Saturday acknowledged the greatness of India's pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah, who he believes can be a javelin throw star.
Chopra qualified for this year's DL Final in fourth place after competing in two of the four qualifying legs.
Top Indian athletes, including Animesh Kujur and Praveen Chithravel, are set to compete in the inaugural National Indoor Championships in Bhubaneswar, viewing it as crucial preparation for the Asian Games.
Gulveer finished ninth in men's 5000m heat two with a time of 13 minutes 42.34 seconds, his worst of the season and well below his national record time of 12:59.77.
'When I threw in the warm-up, I knew I would do well. I thought I would touch 67-68. But I got a gold medal at 66m.'
'At the previous edition in Kobe, India won 17 medals. With a stronger team this time, I am confident we will surpass 20 medals and create history on home soil.'
Top Indian athletes, including Animesh Kujur and Praveen Chithravel, are set to compete in the inaugural National Indoor Championships, using the event as preparation for the Asian Games later this year.
Competing in his first Olympics, Chopra took just a few seconds to make to the final round, to be held on Saturday, sending the spear well past the qualifying mark of 83.50 metres during the Group A qualifications.
Dharambir and Atul win silver and bronze for India in World Para Athletics C'ships
Gulveer Singh shattered a decade-old meet record, high-jumper Pooja Singh delivered a personal best show, while heptathlete Nandini Agasara rose to the occasion after a setback as the trio added three more gold medals to India's kitty on the penultimate day of the 26th Asian Athletics Championships.
The star-studded 12-man event, to be held at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium, will feature seven of the best javelin throwers in the world and five Indians, including Chopra.
Weightlifter Priteesmita Bhoi broke the world youth record in clean & jerk on way to clinching gold in the girls' 44kg category at the Youth Asian Games in Manama, Bahrain, on Sunday.
Sumit Antil clinched a gold medal at the Hangzhou Asian Para Games javelin throw F64 event with a world record effort of 73.29m.
'I try to stay calm on the day of my event. I don't think too much about it. I just focus on giving my 100%. I try to stay relaxed, eat good food, and rest well.'
Neeraj Chopra said with Czech great Jan Zelezny by his side as his coach and with his own determination, he is confident of good results.
Out of the 14 DL meetings, four have men's javelin throw on their roster.
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