NEW DELHI: The much-anticipated Neeraj Chopra vs. Arshad Nadeem clash, their first meeting in over a year, never truly materialised as Thursday’s World Championships final turned the script upside down. Pakistan’s Olympic champion and 2023 silver medallist Arshad Nadeem was among the first set of throwers to exit, bowing out in the fourth round with a best effort of 82.75m.Defending champion Neeraj Chopra, who has been struggling with back pain, endured a nightmarish outing in the men’s javelin final and finished a disappointing eighth — his lowest finish since his historic Tokyo 2021 triumph.Following his below-par performance, Nadeem took to social media to share a heartfelt message:“Dear Pakistanis, I want to thank each and every one of you for your unwavering support and love throughout the World Athletics Championships. Although I couldn’t achieve the result I had hoped for in the final, I am proud to have represented our nation on the biggest stage.
“Your prayers, messages, and encouragement mean the world to me. I know I let you all down, but I promise to come back stronger and work even harder to make you proud.“To be honest, I’ve been dealing with an injury since July 4th, which affected my preparation and fitness level. Despite this challenge, I gave it my all, and I appreciate the experience.
“Thank you for believing in me and supporting me on this journey. I will keep pushing myself to achieve greatness, not just for myself, but for our nation. With love and gratitude, Arshad Nadeem,” he said.For Indian fans, the result was a shock. Chopra had been a model of consistency, never finishing outside the top two since his Tokyo Olympic gold in 2021. Since then, he had either won or finished runner-up in 24 consecutive international events, adding a silver in 2022 and another gold in 2023 at the World Championships.Known for his ability to deliver under pressure, Chopra’s failure to cross the 85m mark even once was baffling. His previous lowest mark in recent memory was 82.27m while winning gold at the Federation Cup in May 2024, making Thursday’s result one of the most disappointing moments of his career.
