Pakistan’s Olympic javelin champion Arshad Nadeem has stated that he is “competing only with himself” amidst the hype about another showdown with India’s Neeraj Chopra at the World Athletics Championship in Tokyo from September 13 to 21.

“I compete with myself and don’t consider others. Whether it’s Neeraj, [Julian] Webber or anyone else, I compete with my own expectations and with the expectations of my countrymen. It is just like wrestling — two wrestlers come into the arena, one wins and the other loses. Neeraj and I both come after tough training. This time too, we will enter with the same zeal and the will to win the gold,” Nadeem told www.telecomasia.net on Friday.

Nadeem, who underwent calf surgery earlier this year, is eyeing gold in Tokyo. “I am fit and raring to add a world title to my Olympic gold medal. Just like all athletes come for gold after doing extra hard work, I have also done hard work and am confident of a gold,” added Nadeem, who beat Neeraj to the gold at the Paris Games last year with a record throw of 92.97m.