By News18,Ritayan Basu

Copyright news18

India At World Athletics Championship 2025: Indian javelin star Neeraj Chopra is set to defend his World Championship title in Tokyo on Wednesday, entering the qualification round against one of the strongest fields the event has seen. The Olympic champion 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). Chopra secured gold at the 2023 Budapest edition with an 88.17m throw, but this time the competition is tougher.
His major rival will be Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem, who edged out Chopra 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 meet in the high-stakes final on Thursday. 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.
This championship is historic for India as well, with three additional javelin throwers – Sachin Yadav, Yashvir Singh, and Rohit Yadav – joining Chopra. This marks the largest Indian contingent in the men’s javelin event, with Chopra earning a wild card as the defending champion and the others qualifying through world rankings. Chopra is in Group A with Weber, Walcott, Vadlejch, and Sachin, while Group B features Nadeem, Peters, Yashvir, Rohit, and Julius Yego. To qualify for the final, athletes must clear 84.50m or rank among the top 12 performers.
Chopra’s performance this year has been mixed. He surpassed the elusive 90m mark with a 90.23m throw at the Doha Diamond League, but also delivered below-par efforts under 85m in two meets. His second-best throw this year stands at 88.16m. In contrast, Weber has been highly consistent, throwing over 90m three times and leading Chopra 3-1 in their head-to-head meetings this season.
When and where to watch Neeraj Chopra at World Athletics Championships LIVE?

September 17, Wednesday
Men’s javelin throw qualification – Group A

September 18, Thursday
Men’s javelin throw final (subject to qualification)

Neeraj Chopra’s javelin throw event at the World Athletics Championships can be streamed live on JioHotstar in India.
Neeraj Chopra’s javelin throw event at the World Athletics Championships live telecast will be on Star Sports Select 1, Star Sports Select 1 HD, Star Sports Select 2 and Star Sports Select 2 HD TV channels in India.