In 2025, Chopra showed brilliance with a 90m throw in Doha but struggled with inconsistency, trailing Weber 1-3 in head-to-heads this season
Tokyo
Neeraj Chopra will carry India’s hopes as he aims to defend his men’s javelin gold at the World Championships beginning Saturday (today). The 27-year-old Olympic and world champion is seeking to become only the third man in history to win consecutive world titles in javelin, after Czech legend Jan Zelezny and Grenada’s Anderson Peters.
Chopra had claimed gold in Budapest 2023 with a throw of 88.17m. This time, he faces a star-studded field, including Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem, Germany’s Diamond League winner Julian Weber, Czech veteran Jakub Vadlejch, Grenada’s Peters, and Brazil’s Luiz da Silva, who crossed 91m last month. Weber enters as favourite, having thrown 90m-plus three times this season, with a world-leading 91.51m.
Chopra has shown flashes of brilliance in 2025, breaching the 90m mark in Doha. However, inconsistency has been a concern, with some efforts below 85m. In head-to-head meetings this season, he trails Weber 1-3, the latest being last month’s Diamond League final, where Chopra managed 85.01m for second place.
India has its largest-ever representation in men’s javelin, with Sachin Yadav, Yashvir Singh, and Rohit Yadav joining Chopra. The defending champion received a wild card, while the others qualified via world rankings. In 2023, India celebrated a historic moment when three javelin throwers reached the final.
Other Indian hopes include Annu Rani in women’s javelin, Parul Chaudhary in distance running, Murali Sreeshankar in long jump, and Praveen Chithravel in triple jump. National record holders Animesh Kujur (200m) and Tejas Shirse (110m hurdles) will also debut at the global stage.
