Neeraj Chopra, Arshad Nadeem headline javelin qualifiers in World Athletics Championships 2025 Day 5
Both athletes placed in separate qualification groups
World Athletics Championships 2025 available on JioHotstar and Star Sports
India's Neeraj Chopra and Pakistan's Arshad Nadeem will headline Day 5 action in the World Athletics Championships 2025 at the National Stadium in Tokyo, Japan, on Wednesday (September 17). Watch men's javelin throw qualifiers and other events live today.
Besides a host of marquee events, Day 5 will also feature four finals: men's 1500m, men's long jump, women's 3000m steeplechase, and women's pole vault with a veritable list of global superstars.
World Athletics Championships 2025, Day 5 Finals Preview
In the men's finals, the 1500m showdown features Britain's reigning champion Josh Kerr, 2022 winner and compatriot Jake Wightman, and Kenya's 2019 gold medallist Timothy Cheruiyot. In the long jump, Greece's Miltiadis Tentoglou, a two-time Olympic champion, returns to defend his crown.
On the women's side, pole vault final pits American duo Katie Moon and Sandi Morris against France's indoor world champion Marie-Julie Bonnin, with Moon's co-2023 gold medallist Nina Kennedy sidelined by injury. And the 3000m steeplechase promises fireworks as three of the four fastest women in history and Paris podium trio – Winfred Yavi (Bahrain), Peruth Chemutai (Uganda), and Faith Cherotich (Kenya) – battle for supremacy.
All Eyes On Neeeraj Chopra And Arshad Nadeem
The spotlight, however, is squarely on the men's javelin throw qualifiers, where Neeraj Chopra and Arshad Nadeem will resume one of the most intriguing rivalries in the athletics world. Both have been placed in separate qualification groups, though – Chopra, along with compatriot Sachin Yadav, in Group A; Nadeem with the Indian pair of Rohit Yadav and Yash Vir Singh in Group B.
Neeraj Chopra returns to the same stadium where he first etched his name into Olympic folklore in 2020, winning India's first individual gold medal at the Games. Now 27, he's no longer the underdog but a seasoned campaigner with a world title, two Olympic medals, and a Diamond League crown to his name.
Arshad Nadeem, meanwhile, arrives in Japan as the reigning Olympic champion, having stunned the field in Paris with a record-breaking 92.97m throw.
For India, Chopra leads a historic four-man contingent in the field, the country's largest ever in a single event at the Worlds. For Pakistan, Arshad remains the lone torchbearer. The field, altogether, has eight athletes who have breached the magical 90-metre mark, including Chopra, Nadeem and the season's top two throwers: Julian Weber of Germany and Luiz Mauricio Da Silva of Brazil.
The final is scheduled for tomorrow, Thursday (September 19).
Indo-Pak Undercurrent In Tokyo
Neeraj Chopra and Arshad Nadeem's rivalry, though respectful, carries the undercurrent of a broader Indo-Pak dynamic. In a region where political tensions often dominate headlines, their athletic encounters offer a rare, unspoken rapprochement, of sorts.
Unlike other sports stars, there are no fiery exchanges or overt gestures between the two celebrated javelin throwers, evidently. It's worth noting, though, that Neeraj Chopra himself became a target earlier this year for inviting Arshad to the NC Classic, the eponymous javelin throw event. Ultimately, he was forced to withdraw the invite.
Their presence at the Tokyo Worlds, it can be argued, elevates the event beyond sport and helps fans find another avenue to channel their sporting spirit, at least for fans in the subcontinent, especially after the recent event at the Asia Cup cricket.
Just days ago, in Dubai, a group stage clash between India and Pakistan ended not with handshakes but with controversy. The Suryakumar Yadav-led Indian team chose not to engage in customary pre- and post-match greetings, citing national sentiment and recent political tensions following the Pahalgam terror attack and the subsequent Operation Sindoor.
World Athletics Championships 2025 – Live Streaming Details
When is Neeraj Chopra's event in World Athletics Championships 2025 Day 5 starting?
The men's javelin throw qualification Group A in World Athletics Championships Day 5, where Neeraj Chopra is taking part, will begin at 3:40 PM IST on Wednesday, September 17. The timings are subject to change.
When is Arshad Nadeem's event in World Athletics Championships 2025 Day 5 starting?
The Group B men's javelin qualifiers, featuring Arshad Nadeem and two Indian athletes, will start from 5:15 PM IST on September 17. Again, the timings are tentative and subject to change later.
Where to watch the World Athletics Championships 2025 live online in India?
The World Athletics Championships 2025 will be live-streamed on the JioHotstar app and website in India.
Where to watch the World Athletics Championships 2025 live telecast in India?
The World Athletics Championships 2025 will be televised live on the Star Sports Network TV channels in India.
Indian Contingent For World Athletics Championships 2025
Men: Neeraj Chopra (javelin throw), Sachin Yadav (javelin throw), Yash Vir Singh (javelin throw), Rohit Yadav (javelin throw), Gulveer Singh (5000m, 10000m), Praveen Chithravel (triple jump), Abdulla Aboobacker (triple jump), Murali Sreeshankar (long jump), Sarvesh Kushare (high jump), Animesh Kujur (200m), Tejas Shirse (110m hurdles), Servin Sebastian (20km race walk), Ram Baboo (35km race walk), and Sandeep Kumar (35km race walk).
Women: Annu Rani (javelin throw), Parul Chaudhary (3000m steeplechase), Ankita Dhyani (3000m steeplechase), Pooja (800m, 1500m), and Priyanka Goswami (35km race walk).
