Neeraj Chopra vs Arshad Nadeem showdown in Poland Diamond League uncertain as Pakistani javelin star....

Following the men’s javelin final at the Paris Olympics 2024, Neeraj Chopra and Arshad Nadeem were scheduled to compete together for the first time at the upcoming Poland Diamond League. However, this anticipated matchup has encountered a setback as Arshad recently underwent surgery on his calf muscle. During the Paris event, Arshad secured gold with an impressive throw of 92.97m, while Chopra earned silver with a top throw of 89.45m. Both athletes were also expected to compete in the same event in Switzerland next month.

The coach of the Pakistani athlete informed PTI that he is uncertain about both events, as he prioritizes a full recovery for the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo this September.

Butt stated, “He (Nadeem) is concentrating more on his preparation for the World Championships in Tokyo in September, which is why he opted for surgery on his calf muscle that has been troubling him for some time. I don’t believe they will face each other until the World event.”

Currently, Arshad is in rehabilitation in London, and his coach suggested that he might take part in one event before the World Championships. “The World Championships are crucial for Arshad (Nadeem) since he finished with a silver medal behind Neeraj (Chopra) in Budapest in 2023,” he remarked.

This year, Neeraj also managed to surpass the elusive 90m mark, although he has struggled with consistency. He recently recognized a flaw in his technique, stating, “I have already pinpointed the areas I need to improve. When throwing the javelin, I tend to lean too much to my left side. We need to address that. In training, I don’t do this, but during competitions, it occurs due to the extra effort I exert.”

“I have achieved 90m this year. But I need to be more consistent to achieve it more often. I am continuously around 88-89m, and my coach said he is happy, but I need to be more consistent,” he added.

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