Sports
Soured rivalry: Pakistan vs India as ‘brothers’ clash for world gold
Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem and India’s Neeraj Chopra will battle for javelin gold in Tokyo next week, the latest chapter in a brotherly rivalry which has soured since a deadly military conflict between their countries.
The Tokyo Olympic champion, Chopra, and his successor in Paris, Nadeem, will line up at the athletics world championships for their first encounter since the nuclear-armed neighbours engaged in a four-day conflict in May, their worst since 1999.
Chopra, who took Olympic silver behind his great rival a year ago, had often spoken about his friendly relations with Nadeem despite the tensions between their countries.
After Nadeem won gold and Chopra stood alongside him on the podium in Paris, Nadeem’s mother Raziah Parveen said: “Winning and losing is part of sport, but they are like brothers.”
Chopra’s mother Saroj said she took some solace in Nadeem beating her son because the Pakistani “is also our boy”.
But publicly at least that changed after the conflict, with high-profile figures from both countries under pressure to distance themselves from the other side.
The 27-year-old Chopra, who will defend his world title in Tokyo, said that they were “never really close friends”.
Nadeem, 28, also played down any friendship with Chopra.
“When he won, I congratulated him, and when I won the gold, he returned the same courtesy,” Nadeem told AFP by telephone en route to Tokyo.
“(Just as) in wrestling, one wrestler wins and the other loses — it’s part of the game.”
Invitation withdrawn
Nadeem, who is returning to competition after calf surgery in July, hails from a farming village.
He became an overnight sensation when he gave Pakistan their first Olympic gold in 40 years with a Games-record throw of 92.97m.
Nadeem has competed only once since Paris, winning the Asian Athletics Championships in South Korea in May when Chopra did not participate.
The last time the pair clashed was at the Paris Olympics.
In April, the Indian star invited Nadeem to India for his ‘Neeraj Chopra Classic’ javelin event but the Pakistani declined, saying it clashed with his training schedule.
Chopra then withdrew the invitation after an attack in Pahalgam in Indian-administered Kashmir on April 22 killed 26 people, mostly Hindu tourists.
India accused Pakistan of backing the attackers, a charge Islamabad denied.
In the conflict that followed several people were killed in missile, drone and artillery fire on both sides.
“I want to clarify that I don’t have a particularly strong relationship with Nadeem, we were never really close friends,” Chopra said afterwards.
“But because of the current situation, things will not be as they were. That said, if someone speaks to me with respect, I always respond in kind.”
The world championships start on Saturday, with the men’s javelin final on September 18.
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Three Division I college basketball players were permanently banned from the NCAA on Wednesday for allegedly betting on their own games.
Mykell Robinson, Steven Vasquez and Jalen Weave have been revoked of their eligibility after the NCAA Committee on Infractions released findings that determined the players bet on contests they competed in at Fresno State and San Jose State, and were able to share thousands of dollars in payouts.
All three athletes were released from their respective teams and are no longer enrolled at their previous schools. Neither school was punished.
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The NCAA logo on entrance sign outside of the NCAA Headquarters on February 28, 2023, in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)
The NCAA declared the three players bet on each other’s games and/or provided information that enabled others to do so during the 2024-25 regular season and that two of them even manipulated their performances to ensure certain bets were won.
The NCAA said a sports integrity monitoring service in January notified Fresno State and NCAA enforcement staff that a Nevada sportsbook operator had flagged suspicious prop bets on Robinson. The investigation began a week later..
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Fresno State said it willingly cooperated with the NCAA.
“The university proactively shared reported information concerning sports wagering activity with the NCAA and worked collaboratively with the NCAA staff throughout the investigation,” the school said in a statement. “While the eligibility consequences for the former student-athletes are significant, the case ultimately resulted in a Level III/Secondary violation and no sanctions for the institution. The university continues to have confidence in the Fresno State Athletics’ culture and is grateful to conclude this matter.”
San Jose State said it was aware of the decision and that Vasquez was already removed from the roster.
According to the NCAA, Robinson and Vasquez had been roommates at Fresno State during the 2023-24 season. In January 2025, Robinson, who was still at Fresno State, and Vasquez, then at San Jose State — discussed over text message that Robinson planned to underperform in several statistical categories during one regular-season game. Robinson also placed multiple bets on Weaver, his teammate at Fresno State in 2024-25, the NCAA found.
During one game, Robinson, Vasquez and a third party bet a combined $2,200 on Robinson to underperform, and a $15,950 payout was redistributed among those who had bet, the NCAA said.
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Fresno State’s Mykell Robinson drives against San Diego State during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game. The game was in Fresno, California, on Dec. 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Gary Kazanjian, File)
During that same season, Robinson placed 13 daily fantasy sports over-line and under-line prop bets totaling $454 on parlays that included his own performance. He collected $618 on one occasion.
Robinson placed multiple bets on Weaver, including two bets placed before a game in late December 2024 after he and Weaver exchanged information about their respective betting lines, the NCAA said. Weaver also placed a $50 prop bet on a parlay for himself, Robinson and a third athlete, and he won $260.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Former Pakistan cricket captain Wasim Akram has urged the national selectors to include star batter Babar Azam in the T20 squad. Highlighting Babar’s experience and consistent performance.
Akram emphasized that the batter could play a crucial role in successfully chasing challenging totals.
In an interview with an Indian broadcaster, Akram said that having Babar in the lineup could make a huge difference.
Especially when chasing totals on difficult pitches.
“Just think if you have to chase a target of 150 or 160 on a difficult wicket—Babar’s presence can prove to be very useful,” Akram noted.
“The game may have to be adjusted a little, but a batter like Babar is essential on such occasions.”
Babar Azam’s exclusion from T20I
Babar, who is the second-highest run-scorer in T20 Internationals, has been absent from the squad since the series against South Africa in December last year.
Selectors did not include him in the ongoing Asia Cup, opting instead to test young players with the World Cup scheduled for next year.
Reflecting on the past four to five years, Akram acknowledged that both Babar and Mohammad Rizwan were given plenty of opportunities as openers.
While they delivered strong performances, he added, their consistency fell short of expectations.
This, according to Akram, explains why the selectors are giving new talent a chance in the shortest format.
Praise for Pakistan’s current approach
Despite his call for Babar’s return, Akram lauded the bold thinking of the current Pakistan team.
He praised captain Salman Ali Agha for his leadership and expressed confidence in the younger squad’s ability to regularly beat top cricketing nations.
“These players have the ability to defeat even the top teams,” Akram said, endorsing the selectors’ vision for the future.
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