Olympic champion Arshad Nadeem is preparing to compete at the World Athletics Championships, where the absence of Indian javelin star Neeraj Chopra could strengthen the Pakistani athlete’s chances of winning gold.
According to the report, Chopra has been ruled out of both the World Athletics Championships and the Asian Games because of an ankle injury, removing one of Nadeem’s strongest rivals from the competition.
The World Athletics Championships are scheduled to take place in Budapest, Hungary, from September 11 to 13, with the men’s javelin throw final set for September 13.
Arshad Nadeem is currently training in Potchefstroom under the supervision of his South African coach, Terseus Liebenberg. The same coaching partnership previously helped Nadeem prepare for major successes, including gold medals at the 2022 Commonwealth Games and the Paris Olympics.
Nadeem will also compete at the Asian Games after completing his World Athletics campaign.
The Pakistani javelin thrower had struggled to produce his best performances at recent competitions, including the Commonwealth Games and an event in Switzerland, but he is reportedly determined to return to top form at the World Championships.
The absence of Chopra could also reduce competitive pressure on Nadeem as he targets another major international title.
Following the World Athletics Championships, Nadeem is scheduled to participate in the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan.
At the previous Asian Games, Nadeem withdrew a day before the final because of fitness problems.