Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi

New Delhi, Jul 13: The javelin world is bracing for a high-voltage clash as India's Olympic star Neeraj Chopra is set to face off with Pakistan’s reigning Olympic champion Arshad Nadeem at the Diamond League meet in Silesia, Poland on August 16. This will be their first meeting since the Paris 2024 Olympic final, where Nadeem clinched gold with a stunning 92.97m throw, while Chopra settled for silver with 89.45m.

The Silesia meet is already generating buzz as a battle of Olympic titans, with organisers touting it as a potential moment of "revenge" for Chopra. “The Indian-Pakistani battle awaiting Polish fans will be the first opportunity for revenge after the Paris Olympics,” the organisers said.

While Nadeem has kept a low profile this season — winning only the Asian Championships in South Korea with an 86.40m effort — Chopra has been active across top events. He began the year with a landmark 90.23m throw in the Doha Diamond League in May, becoming the 26th javelin thrower to cross the 90m mark. Since then, he has bagged titles in Paris, Ostrava and the Bengaluru NC Classic, and is eyeing his World Championships title defence in Tokyo this September.

The August 16 face-off is expected to be one of the biggest draws of this year’s Diamond League, reigniting a thrilling Indo-Pak sporting rivalry.