Even as the handshake row from the India vs Pakistan cricket match at the Asia Cup T20 in Dubai rages on, another India-Pakistan showdown is set to unfold – this time in Tokyo. World champion Neeraj Chopra will face Olympic champion Arshad Nadeem in the men’s javelin at the World Athletics Championships on Wednesday and Thursday.

“Don’t mix sport and politics,” they say. And for good reason. Sport often acts as a bridge, allowing us – if only for a fleeting moment – to forget our differences when rivals from opposite sides go head-to-head.

Even in times of war, sport has carried on. In January 1999, just months before the Kargil conflict, a visiting Pakistan Test team received a standing ovation in Chennai after one of the finest matches ever played. Indian fans, still stung by Sachin Tendulkar’s heroic century going in vain, stood to applaud Pakistan’s grit and class – a moment that remains one of the most poignant in India-Pakistan sporting history.

Goodwill between athletes has persisted in recent years as well. Shaheen Afridi gifting new dad Jasprit Bumrah a box of baby clothes before the 2023 World Cup, or the warm reception the Pakistan team received during their first visit to India since 2016, show that mutual respect can survive even amid cross-border tension.

Yet times have changed. The goodwill that once softened rivalries has been tested repeatedly. In April 2025, the Pahalgam terror attack, followed by a full-blown conflict in May, hardened political tensions.

The recent handshake row during the Asia Cup T20 in Dubai exemplifies this new reality: India captain Suryakumar Yadav didn’t greet his Pakistani counterpart Salman Ali Agha at the toss, and Indian players avoided handshakes after the win. Pakistan were irked, their captain snubbed the post-match ceremony, and the Pakistan Cricket Board has since demanded the removal of match referee Andy Pycroft, threatening to pull out of the Asia Cup if he remains.

Amid this backdrop, the Neeraj-Arshad clash takes on fresh significance.

Unlike cricket, athletics rarely pits India and Pakistan against each other. The javelin fraternity is small – a handful of world-class throwers competing across a circuit that sees the same faces year after year. Rivalries here are less about animosity and more about a shared respect for craft.

A BEAUTIFUL RIVALRY

It is within this ecosystem that Neeraj and Arshad’s relationship was often framed as special, a symbol of sport’s ability to transcend politics. They pushed each other, traded world-leading throws, and together lifted South Asia onto the javelin map.

Their rivalry traces back to 2016, when both athletes first competed internationally. Neeraj quickly established himself as the dominant force, while Arshad was taking baby steps, battling rivals and barriers in a sport dominated by cricket in his country.

By the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta, the dynamic had matured into a visible rivalry. Neeraj clinched gold with 88.06m; Arshad took bronze at 80.75m. The moment that captured global attention was their viral podium photo: draped in their national flags, they leaned in and touched heads while shaking hands.

Their bond deepened beyond gestures of respect as the rivalry grew. At the Tokyo 2021 Olympics, Arshad borrowed Neeraj’s javelin during one of his throws – a rare act of trust and fraternity amid high-stakes competition. For years, Neeraj maintained the upper hand, while Arshad improved incrementally but often trailed.

That hierarchy shifted dramatically at the Paris 2024 Olympics. Arshad unleashed a 92.97m throw to win Pakistan’s first-ever Olympic athletics gold, surpassing Neeraj’s 89.45m and signalling a changing of the guard. The power dynamic had reversed: what had once been a clear pecking order became a genuine rivalry, defined by respect, determination, and the drive of two champions pushing each other to unprecedented heights.

Today, the fiercest India-Pakistan rivalry plays out not on the cricket field, but on the javelin lanes – yet mutual respect between Arshad and Neeraj has always endured.

After Arshad’s historic Olympic triumph in Paris, celebrations transcended borders. Neeraj’s mother, Saroj Devi, expressed warmth for both athletes, saying the gold medallist was “like her own child,” while Arshad’s mother echoed the sentiment about Neeraj.

That rare moment of cross-border familial affection, widely shared on social media, reminded fans that sport can rise above politics.

HAS IT CHANGED NOW?

Yet 2025 brought new complications.

Following the Pahalgam attack, Neeraj was candid in interviews leading up to Tokyo: he and Arshad were never close friends. They had shared respect, he clarified, but the narrative of brotherhood had been overstated. “Things would not be the same again,” he admitted.

The dynamics were further strained around the Neeraj Chopra Classic, India’s first major international javelin event hosted by him. Invitations had been sent to Arshad before the Pahalgam attack.

After the tragedy, public backlash questioned Neeraj’s integrity, and he had to clarify that Arshad’s participation was “completely out of the question” due to circumstances, emphasising that the invitation was purely sporting.

Before heading to Tokyo, Arshad downplayed the hype around their rivalry in a remark layered with subtle meaning: “My competition is always against Neeraj Chopra. I have my competitions against myself. I am in good shape and well-prepared for the contest in Tokyo,” he told The Dawn.

Even in this tight-knit fraternity, geopolitics now influences personal and professional interactions.

Tokyo 2025 promises to continue this high-stakes narrative. Neeraj enters as reigning world champion, aiming to reaffirm his dominance. Arshad seeks to consolidate his Olympic triumph, proving his victory was no fluke. Both will also contend with world leader Julian Weber as a key rival.

As Tokyo prepares for the javelin showdown, fans will watch not just for record-breaking throws, but for gestures, shared glances, and the subtle signs of respect or reserve. In the current climate, a handshake snub might pass without question – yet for those who have followed this rivalry from its Asian roots to the global stage, it would be heartbreak.

– Ends