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The biggest rivalry in men’s javelin is set to return to the Commonwealth Games. Pakistan’s Olympic champion Arshad Nadeem confirmed on Monday, July 13, that he will compete at the Commonwealth Games 2026 in Glasgow, setting up a highly anticipated clash with India’s Neeraj Chopra later this month.
The Games, which begin on July 23, will mark the first Commonwealth meeting between the two since Birmingham 2022, where Chopra was forced to pull out through injury. Nadeem, who will lead Pakistan’s athletics contingent in Glasgow, admitted there would be added pressure this time as he returns as the defending Commonwealth champion.
“There is more pressure on me because I am the defending champion in the coming Games, but I have prepared well,” Nadeem told PTI.
“It is good to be getting back to competition and yes, I want to successfully defend my Commonwealth Games gold medal in Glasgow,” he added.
CWG 2026: NEERAJ vs ARSHDAD
The Glasgow Games will also be the first time Chopra and Nadeem compete against each other since the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, where both endured disappointing campaigns. Battling injuries, Chopra finished eighth while Nadeem ended up tenth, a rare off day for the two biggest names in world javelin.
The two have shared one of athletics’ most compelling rivalries over the past few years, regularly finishing alongside each other at the biggest events in the sport.
Nadeem’s most famous victory over Chopra came at the Paris Olympics in 2024, where the Pakistani stunned the field with an Olympic record throw of 92.97m to win gold, while Chopra settled for silver. It remains Nadeem’s only major victory over the Indian superstar.
The Pakistani also won Commonwealth gold in Birmingham in 2022 with a best throw of 90.18m after Chopra withdrew from the Games because of injury, denying fans what would have been their first Commonwealth showdown.
“I know what I need to do to regain the title in a strong field,” Nadeem said.
The 29-year-old revealed he will compete in an international meet in Switzerland before travelling to Glasgow, using the event as his final tune-up ahead of the Commonwealth Games.
For Chopra, the Commonwealth Games offer an opportunity to reclaim the title he won on the Gold Coast in 2018, while for Nadeem, it is a chance to prove that his Birmingham triumph was no one-off. With both fit again and back on the international circuit, one of athletics’ biggest rivalries is set for another chapter in Glasgow.
NEERAJ CHOPRA vs ARSHAD NADEEM: TIMING
The men’s javelin final is set to take place on July 31. The session will start from 11 pm IST. The javelin final is expected to go beyond midnight.
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