Chopra enters the competition as the defending champion, having created history in Budapest two years ago by becoming India\u2019s first-ever world champion in athletics with a throw of 88.17m. Pakistan\u2019s Arshad Nadeem had secured silver on that occasion with an effort of 87.82m.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
However, the cross-border rivalry intensified in Paris last year when Nadeem dethroned Chopra as Olympic champion with a massive throw of 92.97m, while the Indian settled for a silver with the best effort of 89.45m.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
World No. 2 Chopra will be aiming for his third medal at the World Championships, having previously clinched silver in Eugene, USA, three years ago. Earlier this season, he finally crossed the 90m mark with a national record throw of 90.23m in the Diamond League event in Doha, Qatar. However, that effort currently ranks him third on the world list, behind Germany\u2019s Julian Weber and Brazil\u2019s Luiz da Silva.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The men\u2019s javelin field looks stacked, with three athletes having surpassed 90m this year and another five who have done so in past seasons.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
A total of 37 competitors, divided into two groups, will compete for 12 spots in Thursday\u2019s final, with the automatic qualification standard set at 84.50m. Chopra, 27, begins his campaign in Group A, while Nadeem is placed in Group B.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
India will also be represented by Sachin Yadav (Group A), along with Rohit Yadav and Yashvir Singh (Group B).<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Leading the global contenders is Julian Weber, the in-form Diamond League champion and current season leader with a throw of 91.51m. The field also boasts two-time world champion Anderson Peters of Grenada, 2012 Olympic gold medallist Keshorn Walcott (Trinidad and Tobago), and Tokyo 2020 silver medallist Jakub Vadlejch of Czechia, making the competition in Tokyo even more formidable.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Asian Games gold medallist Annu Rani will spearhead India\u2019s challenge in the women\u2019s javelin throw.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Rani, who has recorded a season-best effort of 62.59m, faces a formidable field that includes reigning World Champion Haruka Kitaguchi of Japan, Austria\u2019s world leader Victoria Hudson with a 67.76m throw, and Serbia\u2019s Adriana Vilagos, who has reached 67.22m this season.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The women\u2019s javelin qualifiers are set to begin on Friday, with the medal round scheduled for Saturday.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
World Athletics Men's javelin throw schedule: Men's javelin throw qualification for Group A will begin at 3:40 pm, while the Group B throws will commence at 5:15 pm on Wednesday. The final of the event will start at 3:53 pm on Thursday.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The women\u2019s javelin qualifiers are set to begin on Friday, with the medal round scheduled for Saturday.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Live streaming details: Live streaming of the men's and women's javelin throw events at the World Athletics Championships will be available on JioHotstar in India. Live telecast will be on Star Sports Select 1, Star Sports Select 1 HD, Star Sports Select 2, and Star Sports Select 2 HD TV channels in India.<\/p>\r\n\r\n