Dr. Asad Abbas, who managed Arshad Nadeem’s recovery, has given good news. The 28‑year‑old Pakistani javelin thrower is now fully fit for the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, starting September 13.
Nadeem had calf surgery in July 2025 at Cambridge, England. The injury forced him to miss the Diamond League season.
Dr. Abbas told Telecomasia.net: “Arshad has fully recovered. I’m confident he’ll compete strongly against Neeraj Chopra and others. I believe he’ll even improve on his Paris results.”
The Nadeem‑Chopra rivalry is expected to be one of the highlights in Tokyo. Their head‑to‑head battle began at the 2023 World Championships in Budapest. That year, Chopra won gold with 88.17 meters, just ahead of Nadeem, who took silver with 87.82 meters.
What a day! Tiring yet rewarding. Like to thank Allah for this giving me the ability to go this far. This was the first time in the history of Pakistan that any Pakistani athlete won a medal at the World athletics championships pic.twitter.com/DaZDeRNyq7
— Arshad Nadeem (@ArshadOlympian1) August 28, 2023At the Paris 2024 Olympics, Nadeem made history. With a 92.97‑meter throw, he claimed Pakistan’s first Olympic gold in 32 years, ending the drought since the 1984 Los Angeles hockey win.
Chopra, however, remains a dominant force. The Indian star won Tokyo 2020 Olympic gold with 87.58 meters and also holds titles from the 2017 Asian Championships and the 2018 Asian and Commonwealth Games.
Nadeem first gained attention at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, where he won a medal. He had missed the podium in Tokyo but bounced back with the Paris gold, making him a national hero and raising Pakistan’s profile in athletics.
With his clean bill of health, Nadeem’s return boosts Pakistan’s hopes for another global medal. Fans worldwide are eager to see his fierce contest with Chopra.
