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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AIMPLB delegation meets Kiren Rijiju, seeks one-year extension for uploading Waqf properties on UMEE
New Delhi: A delegation of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) met Union Minister for Minority Affairs Kiren Rijiju on Thursday to discuss the difficulties faced by mutawallis and Waqf Boards in uploading property details on the UMEED portal. The delegation also submitted a memorandum outlining several demands.
According to the Board, lakhs of registered waqf properties could not be uploaded due to severe technical issues and the short deadline prescribed under Section 3B of the amended Waqf/UMEED Act. The representatives argued that the responsibility for uploading already-registered properties should have been assigned to the Waqf Boards, and sought at least a one-year extension for uploading unregistered properties.
The delegation highlighted that the six-month timeline mandated under the Act has caused widespread hardship, as both mutawallis and State Waqf Boards struggled with glitches and procedural delays. They noted that even the Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, and Rajasthan Waqf Boards approached the Tribunal seeking additional time, extensions that were subsequently granted, indicating that compliance within six months was not feasible.
The AIMPLB also pointed out a key discrepancy: although the UMEED portal was launched on 6 June 2025, the UMEED Rules and declaration forms required for uploading were notified only on 3 July 2025. Therefore, the Board argued, the portal’s launch date cannot be treated as the commencement date for calculating compliance timelines.
Given these challenges, the delegation urged the government to extend the initial six-month deadline by at least one more year. They expressed confidence that such an extension would prevent repeated approaches to the Tribunal except in exceptional circumstances. The Board further reminded the Minister that Section 113 of the Waqf Act empowers the Centre to issue orders to resolve difficulties arising during implementation.
Minister Rijiju heard the delegation’s concerns “with seriousness and attention” and assured them that the issues would be addressed soon.
The delegation comprised AIMPLB Vice President Syed Sadatullah Husaini; General Secretary Maulana Mohammed Fazlur Rahim Mujaddidi; Executive Member and MP Barrister Asaduddin Owaisi; former MP Mohammad Adeeb; Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind leaders Maulana Muhammad Hakimuddin Qasmi and Mufti Abdur Raziq; and Board members Fuzail Ahmad Ayyubi, Hakeem Muhammad Tahir, and Nabila Jamil.
The statement was issued by Dr. Mohd. Vaquar Uddin Latifi, Office Secretary of the AIMPLB.
