Advertisement
Advertisement
Pakistan’s Olympic hero Arshad Nadeem has reportedly turned down an invitation from India’s golden boy Neeraj Chopra to participate in the inaugural Neeraj Chopra Classic, scheduled for May 24 in Bengaluru.
As per media reports, Nadeem expressed his gratitude in a formal letter to Chopra, acknowledging the gesture but declining the invitation due to a busy schedule.
“This year’s training and events have already been finalised, leaving no room for additional engagements,” Nadeem reportedly mentioned in his message.
He also wished the event great success and appreciated Chopra’s efforts to grow the sport globally.
The Neeraj Chopra Classic is expected to feature some of the biggest names in javelin, including world champions Anderson Peters and Julius Yego, 2016 Olympic gold medalist Thomas Röhler, and American thrower Curtis Thompson.
Chopra, who won India’s first-ever Olympic gold in athletics at Tokyo 2020, is aiming to make the event an annual fixture to promote the sport regionally.
While fans were hoping to see another face-off between the two javelin icons, Arshad Nadeem is instead focused on his preparations for the Asian Athletics Championships in South Korea, set to begin on May 27.
Arshad and Neeraj have shared podiums and mutual respect over the years, with their rivalry peaking at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Arshad stunned the world at the Paris Olympics with a historic 92.97m throw to become the first Pakistani to win an individual Olympic gold medal, out-throwing the defending champion Chopra and setting a new Olympic record.
