World Championship: Neeraj Chopra to defend title, clash with Pakistan’s Nadeem – when and where to watch qualification round

Arshad Nadeem and Neeraj Chopra will face each other for the first time since the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Neeraj Chopra, World Javelin Championship: Neeraj Chopra will begin his title defence at the World Athletics Championships 2023 by competing in the men's javelin throw qualifier at the National Stadium in Tokyo on Wednesday. The final will be held on Thursday. Both the qualifier and final of Neeraj Chopra's javelin throw event at the World Athletics Championships 2023 will be available for viewing via live streaming and live telecast in India.

A key highlight in Tokyo will be Neeraj Chopra's clash with his Pakistani rival, Arshad Nadeem. At the previous edition of the World Championships in Budapest two years ago, Neeraj Chopra created history by becoming India's first-ever world champion in athletics with an 88.17m throw. Arshad Nadeem won the silver medal with an 87.82m throw.

The rivalry between Neeraj Chopra and Arshad Nadeem has intensified since the Pakistani thrower prevented his Indian counterpart from winning a second consecutive Olympic gold medal at Paris 2024. Currently ranked second in the world, Neeraj Chopra is aiming for a third medal at the World Championships, having previously won a silver medal three years ago in the USA.

He broke the 90-metre barrier earlier this season in Doha with a national record of 90.23m, but this still places him third in the world rankings behind Germany's Julian Weber and Brazil's Luiz da Silva. Besides the three men who have thrown beyond 90 metres this year, five more athletes achieved this feat last season. Olympic champion Arshad Nadeem is one of them, having set an Olympic record of 92.97m in Paris last year.

Thirty-seven athletes, divided into two groups, will compete for 12 spots in the final on Thursday. The automatic qualifying mark is 84.50m. The 27-year-old Indian athlete will begin in Group A of the qualifier, while Arshad Nadeem will compete in Group B. Three other athletes from India are also in the fray – Sachin Yadav (Group A), Rohit Yadav, and Yashvir Singh (Group B).

When is Neeraj Chopra's event at the World Athletics Championships 2023?
Neeraj Chopra is in Qualification Group A. This event will begin at 3:40 PM IST on 17 September. Group B throws will commence at 5:15 PM IST.