Neeraj Chopra, Nadeem to face off in Silesia DL in Poland on Aug 16, first time after Paris Olympics
Silesia (Poland), Jul 12 (PTI): Double Olympic medallist Neeraj Chopra will be up against reigning champion Arshad Nadeem of Pakistan in a much-anticipated clash in Diamond League in Silesia, Poland on August 16, in their first face-off after their Paris Games showdown in 2024.
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.
The 27-year-old Chopra, who had won gold in Tokyo Olympics in 2021, had to settle for a silver in Paris with a best throw of 89.45m.
A World Athletics statement said that Chopra and Nadeem will be competing in the men's javelin event in Silesia DL.
The Silesia DL organisers also confirmed the showdown between Chopra and Nadeem, and said it could be the first opportunity for the Indian superstar to settle the scores.
"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 organisers said while announcing the participants of the prestigious DL event.
"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.
"The latter became the 26th thrower in history to surpass 90 metres this spring. And he is certainly yearning for more," the organisers said, referring to Chopra achieving the coveted feat of crossing the 90m mark with a throw of 90.23m in the Doha Diamond League in May.
The men's javelin duel between the reigning world champion and reigning Olympic gold medallist is set to be one of the main attractions of the Silesia DL.
Since the Paris Games, Chopra has participated in several competitions, including four Diamond League meetings, two other top-class events in Chorzow, Poland and Ostrava, Czech Republic, as well as the inaugural NC Classic in Bengaluru which he won as host.
He crossed the coveted 90m mark in Doha in his first DL competition of the year on May 16, though he finished second to Julian Weber of Germany. He finished second at Janusz Kusocinski Memorial event in Chorzow on May 23 with a modest 84.14m, before winning his first DL title of the season in Paris on June 20 with 88.16m.
Chopra, who is currently being coached by the legendary javelin thrower Jan Zelezny, then won Ostrava Golden Spike competition with a throw of 85.29m on June 25 before clinching title at NC Classic with 86.18m as host and competitor.
The 28-year-old Nadeem, on the other hand, ended his 2024 season with the Paris Olympics gold and has taken part in just one competition so far this year. He won gold in the Asian Championships in Gumi, South Korea, on May 31 with a throw of 86.40m.
Nadeem was, in fact, invited by Chopra for the NC Classic when it was initially planned to be held on May 24, but the Pakistani had declined that offer on the ground that it would clash with his preparations for the Asian Championships (May 27-31).
The NC Classic, though, was later postponed due to the military conflict between India and Pakistan after the Pahalgam terror attack which killed 26 tourists, and then held on July 5.
The season's most important competition is the World Championships from September 13 to 21 in Tokyo where Chopra will be aiming to defend his title he had won in 2023.
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Zameer Ahmed reacts to Muslim leaders’ letter to Congress high command
Bengaluru: Minister Zameer Ahmed has responded to reports of Muslim community leaders writing to the Congress high command expressing concerns.
Speaking to reporters, he said he had seen the letter in the media and noted that around 15–16 community leaders had written to Rahul Gandhi, as well as to the Chief Minister, Deputy Chief Minister and Mallikarjun Kharge.
“They have expressed their views. If you want to know their opinion, you should ask them. I cannot speak on their behalf,” he said.
Stressing that there is no discrimination, Zameer Ahmed said everyone is being treated equally. “Since those who wrote the letter are community leaders, the reasons behind it should be asked to them directly,” he added.
He also said that different leaders express different views. “One person may speak in my favour, another may speak for someone else. There is no need to consider all that,” he said, referring to discussions around leaders like Abdul Jabbar and Naseer Ahmed.
On the issue concerning Naseer Ahmed, Zameer Ahmed said he is a senior leader and that if any anti-party activity was involved, due process should have been followed. “There is a procedure, a notice should be issued first, a reply should be obtained, and then action should be taken. This is also the view expressed by Satish Jarkiholi and several others,” he said.
He clarified that he is not saying action against anyone is wrong if anti-party activity is proven, but decisions should follow proper procedure.
Responding to demands that action against Abdul Jabbar and Naseer Ahmed be withdrawn, he said steps should be taken as per rules and that there was a view that immediate action may not have been necessary.
On the mention in the letter about “teaching a lesson” in future elections, he said there is indeed some dissatisfaction among political and community leaders. “We will speak and resolve the issues. Those who have written the letter should be asked directly,” he said.
