Paris Olympic Games javelin gold medal winner Arshad Nadeem of Pakistan will not participate in the Neeraj Chopra Classic to be held in Bengaluru on May 24.
It’s not confirmed whether Tuesday’s terror attack on tourists in Pahalgam had a bearing on Nadeem’s decision to decline Neeraj’s invitation.
Sources said Nadeem has cited a packed schedule as the reason behind his decision.
Nadeem’s training and events have already been finalised, leaving no room for additional engagements.
Given the heightened diplomatic tensions between India and Pakistan after the terror attack, Nadeem’s participation was already in doubt. It was very unlikely that Nadeem would have got the green light for the event.
Right now, the 28-year-old javelin superstar is in Lahore, gearing up for the new season. The Pakistani has not participated in any event since his gold-medal winning feat last August.
He is expected to feature in the Asian Athletics Championship to be held in Gumi, South Korea, from May 27-31. That is being billed as his comeback event.
Neeraj, on Monday, during a virtual news conference, had said Nadeem was yet to confirm his participation.
“He is consulting his coach. Like other top throwers, Arshad too has been invited. It will involve the government (permission). Once everything is confirmed, we will know the final list,” Neeraj said.
The last time Nadeem participated in a major event in India was at the 2016 South Asian Games in Guwahati. He secured a bronze medal with a throw of 78.33 metres. Neeraj’s 82.23-metre throw had fetched him the gold.
Neeraj and Arshad share a very cordial relationship, and their duels have taken on a cult status among athletics fans worldwide.
After Neeraj’s Tokyo Olympic Games gold in 2021 — Nadeem had finished fifth — the poster boy of Indian athletics was miles ahead of his Pakistani counterpart.
In the 2023 World Championship in Budapest, Neeraj and Nadeem finished first and second, respectively. In the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou, Neeraj bagged the gold and Nadeem came third.
However, in Paris, Nadeem, with a humongous throw of 92.97 metres, got the gold medal. Neeraj (89.45 metres) won the silver medal.
Another duel is brewing. That will be in Tokyo at the World Athletics Championship in September.