India, Sept. 17 -- The men's javelin qualification at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo on Wednesday afternoon carries significance that transcends the sector boundaries. Neeraj Chopra and Arshad Nadeem arrive bearing the customary burden of sporting nationalism, which is amplified by recent geopolitical and cross-sport tensions. This includes the handshake controversy in Dubai during the India vs Pakistan match in the Asia Cup 2025 and the subsequent administrative disputes that have kept the animosities between the two nations elevated.

Neeraj Chopra commences his title defence in Group A, while Arshad Nadeem headlines Group B, resulting in a high probability of a reunion during the final on Thursday. The qualification criteri...