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Star Indian athlete and two-time Olympic medallist, Neeraj Chopra after reigning victorious at the Neeraj Chopra Classic earlier this month, will return to action in the next edition of the prestigious Diamond League, set to be held in Silesia, Poland. The reigning World No. 1 will hope to continue his domination after winning gold at the NC Classic, Ostrava Golden Spike recently.
Moreover, Neeraj Chopra will be face-to-face with Paris Olympic Games gold medallist, Pakistan Arshad Nadeem for the first-time, after the organisers confirmed their participation in the tournament. It is to be noted that Arshad Nadeem last major appearance came at the quadrennial Games in August 2024, where he bagged a gold with a record-breaking throw of 92.97m.
Neeraj Chopra to face-off Arshad Nadeem at Silesia Diamond League on August 16
With a gold medal win, Nadeem also won country’s first-ever track and field medal at the Olympic Games. But as he plans to return to the field after a year long hiatus, he is set to face the World No. 1, Neeraj Chopra. The development was confirmed by the oraganisers who stated, "Neeraj Chopra will face Arshad Nadeem. The Indian-Pakistani battle awaiting the Polish fans will be the first opportunity for revenge after the Paris Olympics. The Pakistani’s form remains something of a mystery, as he rarely appears on the European circuit. The exception he will make on August 16th results from his desire to face Chopra.”
Since the last Games, Neeraj Chopra has risen by leaps and bounds. The 27-year-old Indian athlete displaced Anderson Peters to reclaim the top spot in men’s javelin throw. Moreover, he also recently breached the 90m mark, becoming only the 26th athlete to do so.
Diamond League Standings: Men’s Javelin Throw
|
Rank |
Athlete |
Points |
|
1 |
Julian Weber |
15 |
|
2 |
Neeraj Chopra |
15 |
|
3 |
Anderson Peters |
10 |
|
4 |
Keshorn Walcott |
10 |
|
5 |
Luiz Mauricio da Silva |
6 |
|
6 |
Ahmed Sameh Mohamed Hussein |
4 |
|
7 |
Julius Yego |
3 |
|
8 |
Oliver Helander |
3 |
|
9 |
Jakub Vadlejch |
2 |
|
10 |
Andrian Mardare |
2 |
|
11 |
Kishore Jena |
1 |
|
12 |
Remi Rougetet |
1 |
