Why Pakistan's Arshad Nadeem Didn't Qualify For Diamond League Final 2025

As the two-time Olympic medallist, India's Neeraj Chopra, gear up for the Diamond League Final 2025, athletics fans, unfortunately, will not get to see his rivalry with Pakistan's Arshad Nadeem renewed on the field. The javelin throw final, which will be played at Switzerland's iconic Letzigrund Stadium, will see the likes of Neeraj Chopra (India), Julian Weber (Germany), Anderson Peters (Grenada), Keshorn Walcott (Trinidad & Tobago), Julius Yego (Kenya), Andrian Mardare (Moldova), and Simon Wieland (Switzerland).

Pakistan's Arshad Nadeem will not be a part of the event as despite winning the Olympic Gold medal in Paris with a throw of 92.97 meters. Arshad didn't compete against Neeraj since the Paris Olympics and also did not take part in any of the Diamond League 2025 meets, hence he didn't qualify for the final.

The nearest possibility of Neeraj and Nadeem squaring off against each other next would be at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo in September.

In 2022, Neeraj Chopra became the first Indian to become a Diamond League champion in any event. Interestingly, that year, the Final was also held in Zurich.

The Indian javelin ace also made the finals in the two subsequent editions held in Eugene and Brussels, respectively. However, on both occasions, he finished as a runner-up.

The Zurich Final marks the culmination of the 2025 Diamond League season, which featured 14 regular legs before the two-day finale.

The 27-year-old Indian athlete has competed in two Diamond League meets this season - finishing second in Doha with a national record-breaking 90.23m, and winning the Paris leg with 88.16m.

Having secured his berth in the final, Neeraj opted to sit out the Silesia and Brussels leg of the 2025 Diamond League season, which also featured javelin throw competitions.

The javelin throw final in Zurich features a strong seven-man line-up, with six athletes ranked inside the world's top 10.

With PTI Inputs