Neeraj Chopra vs Arshad Nadeem: A Healthy India-Pakistan Rivalry

Chopra and Nadeem's sportsmanship-driven rivalry reshapes India-Pak athletics, showcasing unity and subcontinent's javelin dominance.

Written by: Namrata Sawal

Edited by: Krutarth Ghosalkar

Last Updated: August 29, 2023

Summary: Neeraj Chopra and Arshad Nadeem have competed against each other in a total of nine international competitions, with seven occurrences at the senior level and two at the junior level.

As each global athletics event unfolds, the competition between India’s Olympic gold medalist Neeraj Chopra, and Pakistan’s Commonwealth Games champion Arshad Nadeem is evolving into one of the most thrilling showdowns in the realm of world athletics.

On the morning when the video of Chopra inviting his longtime friend Nadeem from across the border for a celebratory moment at the arena where they outperformed the world gained popularity, the customary negativity often seen after intense cricket clashes between India and Pakistan was notably absent.

Nadeem’s coach, Syed Hussain Bukhari, a five-time national javelin throw champion of Pakistan, discussed the sport’s power dynamics shifting with the rise of the subcontinent as a prominent center for top-tier javelin throwers. India’s Kishore Jena secured fifth place, followed by DP Manu.

While the traditionally dominant nations didn’t come up empty-handed, they were notably outshined by three Indian and one Pakistani athlete in the top six. Securing the third spot on the podium was Jakub Vadlech from the Czech Republic, where the world record holder Jan Zelezny was born. Julian Webber of Germany, a formidable force in the event, claimed fourth place.

Chopra expressed his contentment with the sport’s progress within the region.

Talking about him and Neeraj, Nadeem emphasized the mutual respect shared between him and Chopra.

"Neeraj and I compete in a positive manner, and our mutual admiration for each other is significant. The rivalry between Pakistan and India is not negative. In our conversations, we simply rejoice in the fact that both of us have made a mark in a competition that typically sees European dominance,” Nadeem stated, as reported by PTI.

Chopra anticipates that the ‘India versus Pakistan’ narrative will gain further attention at the Asian Games. “I sense that discussions around India versus Pakistan will intensify during the Asian Games, but my approach will remain composed and focused on maintaining good health,” Chopra remarked.