Star Pakistan javelin thrower Arshad Nadeem insists he has no rivalry with Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra, and said there is always scope for learning from top athletes like the Indian.

Chopra and Nadeem both qualified for next year’s Paris Olympics and World Championships men’s javelin throw final to be played on Sunday.

While Chopra needed just one big throw to qualify for the World Championships final by notching up his fourth career-best performance of 88.77m in Budapest on Friday, Nadeem sealed his Paris Olympics berth and reached the men’s final with his season-best throw of 86.79m.

“I don’t compete against any one. I try to always compete with myself and to do better and better. There is no rivalry with Neeraj,” Nadeem told the media after qualifying for the final.

“You can always learn from top athletes.”

Arshad Nadeem. File photo

Nadeem, who returned to competition after nearly one year after overcoming an elbow injury which required surgery, said he had high regards for his Indian counterpart, Chopra.

“I wish him the best, that he does well and my job is to get better and better for my country,” he said.

Both have shared a nice friendship since 2016 when Nadeem came in a bus from Lahore to Amritsar. From this friendship, there has blossomed a beautiful rivalry with each trying to outdo one another in every competition they meet.

After Chopra pulled out of last year’s Commonwealth Games in Birmingham because of a groin injury, Nadeem went on to win Pakistan’s first medal in any track and field event in 56 years.

Written with PTI inputs