Two-time Olympic medallist Neeraj Chopra on Thursday clarified that he and Arshad Nadeem were never close “friends” and indicated that the recent tensions following the Pahalgam attack, which significantly strained India-Pakistan relations, would likely affect their future interactions.“First of all, I really want to clarify that I don’t have a very strong relationship [with Arshad Nadeem],” he told reporters ahead of the Doha Diamond League.“Yes, as athletes, we do interact. I have some good friends within the athletic community and from all around the world. Furthermore, if someone addresses me respectfully, I reciprocate that respect.”“Javelin throwers are a relatively small community, and everyone competes for their country, aiming to give their best. So, it will continue to be that way. However, given the current circumstances, things won’t be the same [referring to the recent tension],” he stated.
At Doha, Chopra will compete against two-time world champion and 2024 Olympics bronze medallist Anderson Peters of Grenada, Jakub Vadlejch of Czechia, who won here in 2024, the German duo of Julian Weber and Max Dehning, Kenya’s Julius Yego, and Roderick Genki Dean of Japan.Chopra’s compatriot Kishore Jena, who secured a javelin silver medal at the Asian Games but has been struggling recently, will also be among the eleven competitors.Who’s that IPL player?Jena (Personal Best: 87.54m) also competed here in 2024, finishing ninth with a throw of 76.31m. Vadlejch won the event last year with a best throw of 88.38m, while Chopra finished just 2cm behind with 88.36m. Peters secured third place with 86.62m.Chopra, who won gold at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 and then a silver at the 2024 Paris Games, first competed in the Doha DL in 2018, finishing fourth with a best throw of 87.43m. After his Tokyo Olympics gold, he won the title here in 2023 (88.67m) and finished second in 2024 (88.36m). He will be aiming to reclaim the Doha DL title.
