Olympic gold medallist javelin thrower, Arshad Nadeem of Pakistan, on Wednesday said he will miss contemporary and archrival Neeraj Chopra of India in the Asian Athletics Championship in South Korea later this month, but hoped they would lock horns in the World Championship.
Arshad is preparing for the 26th edition of the Asian meet in Gumi (South Korea), which will run from May 27-31. But Neeraj has given the meet a pass to compete in the Diamond League meetings.
Arshad said he will miss Neeraj, whom he beat to win the Olympic gold medal in the Paris Olympics last year, throwing the javelin to a new Olympic record of 92.97 metres.
I want to compete against the best, so in this Asian Championship, I will miss Neeraj.
Arshad said he intends to win a gold medal in events where he has yet to achieve that distinction.
I am training hard because the Asian Championship is the first meet after my Olympic win. I want to win gold medals in the events where I have not won a gold medal.
Arshad did not compete in the last Asian Championship held in Bangkok. There Pakistan’s Yasir Sultan won a bronze. Yasir will also be accompanying Arshad as he wishes to follow in Arshad’s footsteps.
My event is on May 31, so I am ready for it after training for the last five months. I want to win gold and that will put me in good stead for the World Athletics Championship in Japan.
Neeraj won gold in javelin at the last World Championship in Budapest two years ago, with Arshad taking silver. The latter said he will switch his focus towards the Los Angeles Olympics a year before the event.
Yes, I have the Olympics 2028 in my mind, and that’s why I am competing in the main events. The year 2027 will see me switch my attention towards the next Olympics. Before the Olympics, I have the Asian Games in Japan next year, so there are a number of events that will give me good preps for the 2028 Olympics.
Pakistan has announced a five-member squad for the Asian Championship. Besides Arshad and Yasir, Shajar Abbas and Moeed Baloch will compete in the men's 400 meters while Tameen Khan will run in the women's 100 meters.
