Neeraj Chopra, Arshad Nadeem avoid early face-off in qualifying round at World Championships

Neeraj Chopra, Arshad Nadeem (Pic: AFP)

Neeraj Chopra and Pakistan's Arshad Nadeem will not face each other during the qualification round of the men's javelin throw at the World Athletics Championships on Wednesday, as both athletes have been placed in separate groups. The much-anticipated showdown between the Olympic and World medallists is now expected to take place only if both clear the qualification stage and progress to the final on Thursday.

In the qualification round, Chopra will compete in Group A alongside notable names such as Germany's Diamond League winner Julian Weber, 2012 Olympic champion Keshorn Walcott, Czech veteran Jakub Vadlejch, and fellow Indian Sachin Yadav. Group B features Arshad Nadeem, Grenada's two-time world champion Anderson Peters, 2015 world champion Julius Yego, Brazil's Luiz da Silva, India's Rohit Yadav and Yashvir Singh, as well as rising Sri Lankan talent Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage. The automatic qualification mark is set at 84.50 meters, with the top 12 athletes from both groups combined advancing to the final.

For the first time ever, India will field four athletes in the men's javelin event, marking the largest representation from any nation.

Javelin qualification groups

• Group A: Neeraj Chopra, Sachin Yadav, Julian Weber, Jakub Vadlejch, Sumeda Ranasinghe, and others
• Group B: Arshad Nadeem, Rumesh Pathirage, Anderson Peters, Julius Yego, Rohit Yadav, Yashvir Singh, and others

Neeraj's exploits at a glance

Chopra, a two-time Olympic medallist, aims to become only the third athlete in history to defend a world javelin title, a feat previously achieved by legends Jan Železný (1993, 1995) and Grenada's Anderson Peters (2019, 2022). Chopra clinched gold at last year's World Championships in Budapest with a throw of 88.17m, narrowly edging out Nadeem, who threw 87.82m, and Jakub Vadlejch, who recorded 86.67m.

The men's javelin competition this year promises to be one of the most competitive in recent memory. Alongside Chopra and Nadeem, the field boasts impressive talent, including Julian Weber, who has consistently surpassed the 90-meter mark this season, as well as seasoned veterans Keshorn Walcott, Anderson Peters, Julius Yego, and Jakub Vadlejch. Brazil's Luiz da Silva, another athlete with a personal best over 90 meters, adds further depth to the star-studded lineup.