Neeraj Chopra, Arshad Nadeem pull out of Silesia Diamond League; Here's why

The much-hyped javelin battle between India’s Neeraj Chopra and Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem will not materialize at the 2025 Silesia Diamond League. Scheduled for August 16 in Poland, the highly anticipated clash was shelved after Chopra withdrew and Nadeem was not listed in the final entry roster.

 

Organizers had initially confirmed the participation of both Olympic medalists in early July, building excitement for a rare Indo-Pak rivalry in athletics. However, uncertainty loomed after Nadeem recently underwent surgery on his right calf in London. His coach, Salman Butt, later confirmed that the Paris Olympic gold medallist would skip the event, prioritizing recovery and preparation for the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo this September.

 

Meanwhile, Neeraj’s sudden withdrawal has raised questions, with no official explanation yet provided. His absence, along with Nadeem’s, leaves fans disappointed as the marquee matchup fizzled out before it began. 

 

Stellar 2025 Season for Neeraj 

Despite the setback, Neeraj Chopra has enjoyed a remarkable 2025 campaign. He opened his season with a victory at the Potch Invitational in South Africa and then achieved a national record throw of 90.23m at the Doha Diamond League in May, becoming the first Indian javelin thrower to join the elite 90m club.

 

Following that, he secured a second-place finish at the Janusz Kusoci?"ski Memorial in Poland but bounced back with a win at the Paris Diamond League, throwing 88.16m. He also claimed the Ostrava Golden Spike title, which helped him reclaim the world number one ranking in men’s javelin throw.

 

Neeraj further added to his accolades by winning the NC Classic in India, a domestic competition he personally hosts and promotes.

 

Next up, Tokyo! 

Both Chopra and Nadeem are now expected to square off at the World Athletics Championships 2025 in Tokyo next month. With both athletes aiming for peak performance on the global stage, fans will be hopeful that the Indo-Pak clash they missed in Poland will finally unfold in Japan.