With tensions running high between India and Pakistan in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor, every sporting encounter between the nations is generating a lot of emotion and passion on either side of the border.
The “handshake” row between the two teams in their T20I match on September 14 at the Asia Cup, and the subsequent developments have stirred the pot further. Indian skipper Suryakumar Yadav and players refused to shake hands with the Pakistani players both before and after the match, leading to boycott threats from the Pakistanis.
Interestingly, the two teams will face each other again on September 21 in the Super Fours stage at the Asia Cup 2025.
But, before that, there will be India-Pakistan drama at the javelin finals in the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, with India’s Neeraj Chopra and Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem set to face off today. Chopra cleared the automatic qualification mark of 84.50m in his very first throw in Group A, while Nadeem made the cut with an 85.28m throw in his third and final attempt later in Group B.
"I just need to stay healthy and focused for the final. I feel like I’m ready." 💪🔥
— Olympic Khel (@OlympicKhel) September 17, 2025
Neeraj Chopra reacts after sealing his World Championships final spot with a smooth 84.85m opener. 🌟 pic.twitter.com/TYQlkDKe9J
It will be the first encounter between the two after the 2024 Paris Olympics, where Chopra (89.45m) ended up with the silver medal. Nadeem won the gold with a throw of 92.97m. The Pakistani thrower, however, is not in the best of form, having participated in only one event this year – gold in the Asian Championships in Korea in May – and undergoing a knee surgery in July.
Sachin Yadav is the second Indian to qualify for the finals, coming in sixth in Group A with a throw of 83.67m, and 10th overall. According to the rules, those who touch the automatic qualifying mark of 84.50m or the best 12 finishers qualify for the final.
In the last edition in Budapest, Chopra had thrown 88.17m to clinch the gold, while Nadeem (87.82m) and Jakub Vadlejch (86.67m) of Czech Republic had won the silver and bronze respectively.
World Athletics Championships: Who have qualified for the javelin finals?
Chopra, Yadav and Nadeem will be joined by Julian Weber, Keshorn Walcott, Anderson Peters, Julius Yego, Dawid Wegner, Curtis Thompson, Vadlejch, Cameron McEntyre and Rumesh Pathirage in the 12-man field for the final.
World Athletics Championships: Where and when to watch Neeraj Chopra vs Nadeem Arshad javelin final
The finals will be broadcast LIVE on Star Sports 1 Hindi and Star Sports 2 on TV. Also, the JioHotstar app and website will be live-streaming it.
The finals will start at 3:53pm IST on September 18.
