Indian javelin star Neeraj Chopra is set to begin his title defence in the qualification round of the World Athletics Championships 2025 in Tokyo, Japan, today. Chopra will compete in Group A alongside Germany’s Diamond League champion Julian Weber, 2012 Olympic gold medallist Keshorn Walcott, Czech veteran Jakub Vadlejch, and fellow Indian athlete Sachin Yadav. The event is scheduled to begin at 3:40 PM Indian Time.
Group B includes Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem, Grenada’s two-time world champion Anderson Peters, 2015 world champion Julius Yego, Brazil’s Luiz da Silva, India’s Rohit Yadav and Yashvir Singh, along with Sri Lanka’s rising talent Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage. Chopra is aiming for his third World Championship medal. He made history in 2023 by winning gold. He followed that with a silver medal last year in Paris and another silver in the USA in 2022.
A total of 37 athletes are competing for 12 spots in the final, which will take place tomorrow. The automatic qualification mark is set at 84.50m. In the women’s javelin throw, Asian Games gold medallist Annu Rani will lead the Indian challenge. The women’s qualification rounds will be held on Friday, with Group A starting at 4:00 PM and Group B at 5:30 PM. The final is scheduled for Saturday at 5:35 PM.
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