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In cricket, Pakistan and India share a deep love and a deeper rivalry, but this week, the attention of both nations turns to a much simpler and shorter sporting event.

At the World Athletics Championships in Japan, men’s javelin throwers Neeraj Chopra and Arshad Nadeem are expected to compete against each other for the first time since the 2024 Olympics in Paris.

On that occasion, Nadeem of Pakistan took gold, ahead of Chopra, his Indian rival, who settled for silver after having won gold at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

In 2025, Julian Weber of Germany has had the longest throw, at 91.51 meters, and while Chopra has reached over 90 meters, Nadeem’s best was 86.40 in May. This, however, came at his only event since the Olympics but fans don’t seem too concerned.

“He had [calf muscle] surgery in July, so he has not been able to compete as much as he wanted,” Farid Khan, a Karachi-based sports fan, told DW.

“We are not worried about his form because as long as he is fit, he can always produce one or two big throws out of six.”

Popularity

The two athletes are huge stars back home partly because both countries have been starved of Olympic success. India may have 1.4 billion people, but Chopra’s triumph was only its third gold medal since 1964. Nadeem’s gold was Pakistan’s first in 40 years and when his plane landed back in Lahore from Paris, there were thousands waiting to greet their new sporting hero. Chopra has been the face of international brands such as Samsung, Visa and Coca-Cola.

“We had never had much success in athletics, so Neeraj’s gold was big,” Sumit Pandey, a sports fan from Mumbai, told DW.

“He is a well-spoken guy and a decent looking man too; he has become one of the biggest sporting icons.”

In Pakistan, Nadeem is similarly popular.

“We had watched Olympics after Olympics and seen other countries win gold after gold,” said Khan.

“Then we had our hero, and something to celebrate. It is hard to explain how big it was.”

‘Not only friends, but brothers’

The fact that the two most recent Olympic champions are neighbors gives their relationship an extra edge.

“One hundred percent that Neeraj’s rival comes from Pakistan makes it all feel bigger,” said Pandey.

There seemed to be a shared South Asian pride after the 2024 Olympics. Chopra’s mother Saroj Devi told Indian news  agency ANI that she was proud even though Nadeem won.

“We are very happy with the silver, the one who got gold is also our child and the one who got silver is also our child,” she said. 

Nadeem’s mother echoed those sentiments.

“”They are not only friends but brothers,” Razia Parveen told Islamabad newspaper Independent Urdu.

“Neeraj is also like our son and I pray for him that he wins medals. Winning and losing is part of sport but they are like brothers.”

In December, Nadeem wished his rival a happy birthday in a warm message on social media.

“The comments from the mothers is the good part of it,” said Pandey. “There are other times especially when India and Pakistan are going through difficult times, when it is not so good.”

“Not so good” may be something of an understatement, given that the two countries have taken up arms against each other several times since their partition as they gained independence from Britain in 1947. 

Invitation canceled

Earlier this year, the Indian athlete had invited his Pakistani rival to compete in the Neeraj Chopra Classic, an event held in July in Bengaluru. In April however, 26 people, mostly Indian tourists, were killed by terrorists in Pahalgam in India-administered Kashmir. India blamed Pakistan for the attack and the two sides exchanged fire.

Chopra subsequently cancelled the invitation

“After all that has taken place over the last 48 hours, Arshad’s presence at the NC Classic was completely out of the question,” he wrote on social media.

“Along with the entire nation, I am both hurt and angry at what has taken place.”

He also criticized social media users over their attacks on his mother’s comments about Nadeem.

“When my mother – in her simplicity – had made an innocent comment a year ago, there was an outpouring of praise for her views. Today,the same people haven’t held back from targeting her for that very same statement.”

Tokyo is the first time the two are to meet since that attack and any signs of tensions between them will be discussed at length.

“Relations between our countries are not good, that is just the reality,” said Khan.

“I don’t expect there to be any issues between them, however. They are professional athletes, will be focused on the event and there is a mutual respect.”

Lasting legacy

Of course, it is not just about the two South Asian stars in Tokyo.

“Julian Weber is in very good form and will surely want to win gold,” Ali Ahsan, a Pakistani sportswriter, told DW.

“Anderson Peters of Grenada and Keshorn Walcott of Trindad and Tobago also would want a medal finish. So the competition for medals will always be tough.”

Win or lose, however. Their legacies are already secure.

“Neeraj showed for the first time that there is a possibility for Indians to win a medal at the highest stage for track and field. He has galvanized other Indian athletes and given them confidence that they can compete” said Pandey. “Because of Neeraj, there will be more.”

It is the same in Pakistan.

“Arshad has been an inspiration to us all,” said Khan. “Whatever happens, he will go down in history, but it will be great if he wins gold in Tokyo.”

Update: September 18, 2025. Both Neeraj Chopra and Arshad Nadeem turned in disappointing performances at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, with Chopra finishing 8th and Nadeem coming in 10th place. Keshorn Walcott of Trinidad and Tobago won gold, Anderson Peters of Grenada took silver and American Curtis Thompson won the bronze medal. Germany’s Julian Weber had to settle for fifth place.

Edited by: Chuck Penfold