Pakistan’s Javelin Thrower Arshad Nadeem has pulled out of the Asian Games 2023. The 26-year old sustained a knee injury and will not be able to feature in the ongoing continental event. He was expected to be one of the biggest rivals for India’s Neeraj Chopra in the event.
With his withdrawal, the Asian Games will also not witness the much-awaited India vs Pakistan showdown in the Men’s Javelin Throw. Neeraj Chopra and Arshad have built an intense rivalry in Javelin Throw over the last few years.
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According to reports, Arshad Nadeem was training for the Asiad and looked set to participate in the event. But after a last minute MRI Scan has revealed the injury and the athlete has opted to miss the tournament.
Much recently, Arshad won the silver medal in the World Championships. With a best-throw of 87.82m, he finished behind Neeraj Chopra, who won his first World Championship title with a 88.17m throw.
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Both the athletes’ performances in the World Championships raised the expectations for the Asiad. Arshad has a better personal best compared to Neeraj. The Pakistani breached the 90m mark at the Commonwealth Games last year of 90.18m throw and won the gold in Neeraj Chopra’s absence.
In this season, Neeraj Chopra has the season-best throw of 88.77m. Arshad is his closest competitor with 87.82m. Arshad’s absence now makes Neeraj as the overwhelming favourite for the gold medal. The Indian is the reigning Asian Games champion. He won the gold in Jakarta and Arshad bagged the silver medal.
