- By Himanshu Badola
- Wed, 17 Sep 2025 01:05 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Neeraj Chopra Qualifying Round: India's javelin star Neeraj Chopra is all set to be in action as he aims to defend his World Championship title in Tokyo on Wednesday.
Neeraj will compete in the men's javelin throw qualifiers at the National Stadium. The final is scheduled for Thursday. He aims to make history by becoming only the third male javelin thrower to win consecutive world titles, following his coach and Czech legend Jan Zelezny (1993, 1995) and Grenada’s Anderson Peters (2019, 2022).
Notably, Chopra secured gold at the 2023 Budapest edition with an 88.17m throw, creating history by becoming India’s first world champion in athletics, whereas Arshad Nadeem took silver with 87.82m.
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He will once again face a major challenge from Arshad Nadeem, who edged him out at the 2024 Paris Olympics with an impressive 92.97m throw. Chopra settled for silver at 89.45m.
They won't compete against each other in the qualifiers as they are in separate groups, but are expected to face off in the much-awaited final on Thursday.
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Other contenders include Germany’s Julian Weber, the Diamond League champion and current world leader with 91.51m, Czech veteran Jakub Vadlejch, 2012 Olympic champion Keshorn Walcott, and Grenada’s Peters. Brazil’s Luiz da Silva, another 90m thrower, also adds to the elite lineup.
The 27-year-old Chopra, who went past the 90m mark earlier this season with a 90.23m national record in Doha, will start in Group A of the qualifiers, while Arshad Nadeem will feature in Group B.
India also have three more names in the fray - Sachin Yadav (Group A), Rohit Yadav and Yashvir Singh (Group B).
When will Neeraj Chopra be in action in the men's javelin throw event at the World Athletics Championships 2025?
Neeraj Chopra's Group A will commence their throws from 3:40 pm IST on Wednesday (September 17) at the World event. The Group B throw will start from 5:15 pm IST on Wednesday.
How to watch Neeraj Chopra's men's javelin throw event at the World Athletics Championships 2025 on TV and online in India?
Neeraj Chopra's men's javelin throw event at the World Athletics Championships 2025 will be telecast on Star Sports Network, whereas the live streaming of the event will be available on the JioHotstar app and website.
Group Structure and Indian Participants: A total of 37 throwers, divided into two groups, will clash for only 12 final spots
Group A: Neeraj Chopra (India), Sachin Yadav (India), Julian Weber (Germany), Keshorn Walcott (Trinidad & Tobago), Jakub Vadlejch (Czech Republic)
Group B: Rohit Yadav (India), Yashvir Singh (India), Arshad Nadeem (Pakistan), Anderson Peters (Grenada), Luiz da Silva (Brazil)