NEERAJ CHOPRA, ARSHAD NADEEM WITHDRAW FROM SILESIA DIAMOND LEAGUE 2025
-NADEEM’S ABSENCE EXPECTED DUE TO CALF SURGERY RECOVERY; REASON FOR NEERAJ’S WITHDRAWAL UNCLEAR
Patiala, 10 August (Sports Desk)
Indian javelin star Neeraj Chopra and Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem will not compete in the Silesia Diamond League 2025, scheduled for August 16 in Poland, as confirmed by the official entry list released this week.
The Silesia meet was anticipated to host the first Neeraj Chopra vs. Arshad Nadeem showdown since their thrilling clash at the Paris 2024 Olympics, where Nadeem won gold and Neeraj secured silver. Event organizers had hinted at their participation in early July, but Nadeem’s recent right calf surgery in London last month cast doubts on his involvement. His coach had already ruled him out, and he is absent from the men’s javelin throw entry list as expected.
Surprisingly, Neeraj has also withdrawn from the Silesia meet, though the reason for his absence remains undisclosed.
watch…..Paris Diamond League 2025: Neeraj Chopra wins javelin throw title – get results
Neeraj has had an impressive start to the 2025 athletics season. He began with a victory at the Potch Invitational in South Africa and followed it with a second-place finish at the Doha Diamond League, where he set a new national record with a 90.23m throw, surpassing the 90m mark. The Tokyo 2020 Olympic champion took second again at the Janusz Kusocinski Memorial in Poland but bounced back with wins at the Paris Diamond League, the Ostrova Golden Spike in Czechia, and the NC Classic in India.
Both Neeraj and Nadeem are now focusing on the World Athletics Championships 2025 in Tokyo, Japan, next month, where Neeraj previously won gold ahead of Nadeem in Budapest two years ago. Before that, the Lausanne Diamond League on August 20 will be the final major event featuring men’s javelin throw, where both athletes were initially expected to compete.
